The emergence of digital identity is a unique opportunity to transform the customer experience and improve business processes while enhancing security.
The advancement of digital identity for passenger travel could deliver significant gains in efficiency. Travelers can store identity documents in a digital wallet and then, by consenting to share their biometrics, pass through various airport checkpoints such as bag drop, security, immigration, and boarding without needing to show physical documents. As a result, digital identity can enhance the passenger experience through seamless, contactless journeys, boost efficiency by automating checks, and strengthen security with trusted biometric verification.
Find out more in our IATA Annual Review 2025 (pdf).
Beyond working on solutions for passengers (business-to-consumers or B2C), digital identity is also being applied in the business-to-business (B2B) space in two areas: organizational and employee identity verification, and document verification.
IATA is committed to foster the development of efficient and effective technological solutions for digital identification in international travel. We also advocate for the adoption of globally harmonized and interoperable digital ID standards by governments and support technical standards developments where necessary.
Digital identity is enabling the implementation of user-centric and convenient solutions for digitalization of admissibility and contactless travel. These are the two pillars of the One ID program. As the technology is developing, IATA has facilitated several Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to test technical standards and shape the airline industry interoperability profile.
2025 – Contactless Travel at scale PoC
 |
This PoC is under development in the IATA Data and Technology PoC Program to showcase how linking the Contactless Travel Directory with the One ID interoperability standard creates a self-reinforcing network effect, accelerating large-scale adoption and supporting transit passenger use cases. The outcome will be showcased at the next IATA World Data Symposium. |
2024 - Project 321
 |
This PoC explored how to enhance the customer experience by enabling secure and seamless access to airline lounges by leveraging digital identity credentials such as boarding passes, loyalty status, or passport-derived credentials. Read the full description in the 2024 Data and Technology PoC paper (pdf). Access the code repository. |
2024 – Live PoC Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong - Narita)
In this PoC, a biometric identification process took place in a live airport environment. By following passengers on a journey using digital wallets, IATA and its partners successfully demonstrated that the industry is ready to deliver a fully digital air travel experience.
> Press release (October 2024): Fully Digital Travel Experience Closer to Reality
2023 – End to End Digital Identity PoC
 |
In this PoC, participants explored what it takes to link the digital identity use cases in retailing and service delivery across the entire travel journey. Read the full description in the Preview Paper: End to End Digital Identity Proof of Concept (pdf). |
> Press release (October 2023): First Integrated Shopping to Travel Journey Using Digital Identity
2022 – Project Trust Me, Know My Needs
 |
This PoC explored the feasibility of using a digital wallet to store Verifiable Credentials to be used as proof of entitlement to receive a service. Read the full description in the 2022 Digital Think Tank paper (pdf). |
Legal entities, just like people, need to be able to prove their identity online. A standard has been developed for travel agency identity verification and solutions tested for digital employee ID.
Once entities are equipped with digital identity, they can start issuing electronic attestations.
Organization and employee verification
2025 – Agency Employee Verification in Indirect Channels
 |
This PoC is under development in the IATA Data and Technology program and builds on Project 777. By building on the registration and login concepts already developed, this PoC is now looking at how airlines can extend this framework to indirect NDC channels (sub-agents,consolidators, aggregators, and airline distribution chains). This will test the framework’s robustness across the full distribution landscape before considering an industry-wide rollout. The outcome will be show cased at the next IATA World Data Symposium. |
2024 – Project 777
 |
By leveraging digital employee ID, this concept provides both travel agents and airlines with a robust digital identity framework that enhances security, prevents fraud, and streamlines operational processes. |
|
Full description available in the 2024 Data and Technology PoC paper. Access the code repository. Travel Agency onboarding and verification standards
|
Document Verification
By leveraging organization-centric cryptography that decentralized digital identity offers, each organization can start issuing companion credentials to today’s paper certificates.
IATA is exploring how to issue electronic attestations under the Aviation Security Trust Framework – which comprises a set of business, legal and technical requirements – for the Aircraft Operator Security Program (AOSP) and Supplementary Station Procedures (SSP).
Are you working on digital identity? You can contribute to the exploration and showcase digital identity technology by joining the Data and Technology PoC program. As part of this program, you can gaining early insights, shape industry priorities, test solutions in a low-risk setting, connect with peers, and help scale impact across aviation.
Beyond the exploration phase, you can contribute to the development of technology standards by joining the Identity Management Working Group under the Architecture and Technology Strategy Board (ATSB) of the Passenger Service Conference (PSC).