Unlocking Seamless Journeys: IATA Launches Contactless Travel Directory at the Passenger Terminal Expo

Today, many contactless travel services require passengers to enroll multiple times with different applications or partners. This one-to-one model adds complexity and friction. There’s also no central source for airlines to determine what services are available across a given journey, which limits proactive communication with passengers and often results in underutilized technology.

That’s why IATA introduced the Contactless Travel Directory—a major step toward scaling seamless, digital passenger journeys. Built for airlines, airports, and border agencies, the Directory addresses a critical industry gap: fragmented contactless travel services that create inconsistent and high-friction experiences for travelers and operational inefficiencies for stakeholders. 

Real-world Journey at Passenger Terminal Expo

The Contactless Travel Directory was launched at this year’s Passenger Terminal Expo (PTE) in Madrid, where IATA collaborated with different technology providers to simulate a real-world journey:

1. Attendees enrolled using a demo airline app at the Airware The app accessed the Directory in real-time to determine service availability, passenger eligibility, and the required data points for each step. 
2. From there, participants passed through Airware’s biometric gates—replicating those in use at London Gatwick—without presenting documents.
3. They continued to other partner booths, where they were recognized at biometric gates and seamlessly moved through each touchpoint.

All of this was powered by the Contactless Travel Directory’s orchestration of data exchange. 

The demonstration generated significant interest across the terminal floor. For many, it was the first time seeing how a unified platform could eliminate friction across a multi-leg, multi-partner journey. Airline stakeholders especially recognized the value in the Directory’s ability to streamline deployments, improve communication with travelers, and accelerate adoption across the travel ecosystem. 

Solving Today’s Fragmentation with the Contactless Travel Directory

The Contactless Travel Directory is a global, API-accessible repository of contactless travel services. It provides real-time visibility into which services are available at specific airports and on particular airline itineraries, whether a traveler is eligible to use them, and what protocols are used to share the relevant information. It helps airlines identify, access, and implement contactless solutions—such as biometric boarding and biometric bag-drop—more quickly and at scale. 

Thanks to the Directory, a passenger can enroll once via an airline app and use their credentials across multiple touchpoints in a journey—without re-scanning documents or interacting with separate systems. The Directory provides the protocols and endpoint details required to securely share those credentials across partners.

For airlines, this means:

• Fewer integration challenges
• Smoother handoffs across codeshare and partner operations
• A better ability to inform passengers ahead of time

“The release of the Contactless Travel Directory will make it easier for airlines to expand biometric service opportunities for their customers. As travelers expect ever greater efficiency, biometric recognition technology is taking on a growing role in facilitating travel. This Directory, along with IATA’s One ID initiative, aims to accelerate that transition with critical data and global standards,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security.

To discover how biometrics and digital identities are reshaping the passenger experience, download our latest White Paper “Unlocking the Future - The Passenger's Journey Toward a Seamless and Contactless Experience”.