Over 100 participants from across Japan’s aviation industry, including airlines, airports, government agencies and IT providers, attended IATA’s One ID workshop in Tokyo on 19 May 2023. At the workshop, IATA provided an update on One ID’s core concept, the latest developments and initiatives, and also shared on the effectiveness of One ID, especially in light of the current post COVID surge in travel demand.
“As we emerge from COVID-19, we are also seeing the return of the pain points in the passenger journey. Manual paper document-based processes are unsustainable and contribute to long processing times. And the shortage of skilled staff only intensifies such bottlenecks. IATA’s One ID capitalises on contactless travel biometric-enabled identification technologies and digitalization of admissibility to streamline and enhance the passenger experience,” said Vinoop Goel, IATA’s Regional Director, Airports and External Relations, Asia-Pacific.
During the workshop, representatives from Japanese regulators, airport and airline stakeholders shared their efforts and findings in One ID implementation in trials undertaken in Japan. The participants also discussed the potential challenges of implementing One ID.
IATA’s 2022 Global Passenger Survey (GPS) found that 75% of passengers are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes. “Passengers want to see the various pain points in their journey addressed. Many of them are even willing to share their data to improve their experience. The aviation industry has to act on it,” Goel added. IATA is developing a global engagement plan to raise awareness of all stakeholders, identify bottlenecks and move the industry towards One ID implementation.
