IATA and BA launch their first fully integrated digital identify travel experience
Physical passports belong in yesteryear, and around the world organisations are trying to create a hastle free stop free experience for airline passengers.
Key takeaways
- The trial follows IATA’s publication of ‘Recommended Practice on Digitalization of Admissibility’ last year – industry standards which aim to remove the need for stops at the check-in desk or boarding gate for document checks.
- The association collaborated with a total of 11 partners on the trial, including Accenture, Amadeus, Australian Border Force, AWS, Branchspace, British Airways, IDnow, Aeroporti di Roma, SICPA, Trip.com, and Verchaska.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2024) 'IATA and BA launch their first fully integrated digital identify travel experience', 311 Institute, 19 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/iata-and-ba-launch-their-first-fully-integrated-digital-identify-travel-experience/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has partnered with British Airways to trial what it says was the “first integrated shopping to travel journey using digital identity.” Customers on a BA flight between London Heathrow and Rome Fiumicino were able to make use of technology including digital wallets, digital passports, and biometric gates to travel through the airport.
The “Proof of Concept” trial included travel requirements being checked through the digital passport before the passenger arrived at the airport, Ready-to-Fly confirmation and seat assignment messages being sent by BA to the traveller, and the use of biometric data to travel through security, into lounges and onto the aircraft.
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Passengers were also able to share their loyalty card data (stored as a verifiable credential in their smart phone’s digital wallet), allowing them to receive personalised offers.
A video explaining more about the trial can be seen below.
The trial follows IATA’s publication of ‘Recommended Practice on Digitalization of Admissibility’ last year – industry standards which aim to remove the need for stops at the check-in desk or boarding gate for document checks.
Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security said that while technology exists to allow for a fully integrated digital identity travel experience at each stage of the journey, “linking these steps together has proven challenging”.
See the tech in action.
The association collaborated with a total of 11 partners on the trial, including Accenture, Amadeus, Australian Border Force, AWS, Branchspace, British Airways, IDnow, Aeroporti di Roma, SICPA, Trip.com, and Verchaska.
“In future, a smart phone storing a digital wallet that is loaded with your digital passport, loyalty cards and other verifiable travel credential, is all that will be needed to travel,” said
“Achieving that reality needs the kind of cooperation that we have demonstrated today with 11 companies coming together to facilitate the first fully integrated digital journey.
“Success, of course, is underpinned by interoperability and global standards – so the advantage of the digital travel conveniences are available to travellers throughout their journey and wherever it may take them.”
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Physical passports belong in yesteryear, and around the world organisations are trying to create a hastle free stop free experience for airline passengers.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 19 July 2024. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2024). IATA and BA launch their first fully integrated digital identify travel experience. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/iata-and-ba-launch-their-first-fully-integrated-digital-identify-travel-experience/
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