IATA completes first end-to-end contactless passenger journey

Woman at contactless biometric reader using end-to-end digital ID for air travel on international flight

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has successfully tested an end-to-end digital ID proof-of-concept (PoC) that enables air travellers to use biometric digital credentials to verify their identity at every stage of their journey – from purchasing a ticket to arriving at their destination... More


IATA publishes standards to support rollout of contactless biometric ID for document-free international air travel

IATA logo

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published a set of industry standards for a mechanism that will enable international air passengers to pass through all airport processes using only contactless biometric recognition technology by generating verified digital travel credentials and sending them to destination authorities and airlines in advance of travel... More


Three in four airline passengers want biometric ID to replace passports and boarding passes

IATA airline passenger survey infographic about biometric ID preference

Three in four airline passengers worldwide want to use biometric data to verify their identity when they travel rather than their passport and boarding pass (75%) in order to simplify, speed up and facilitate airport processes such as check-in, security and border control, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) survey has found... More








What's New in Payments

Airlines leverage PSD2 to cut transaction fees

New payment method for air tickets successfully demonstrated — International Air Transport Association — “IATA Pay is an industry-supported initiative to develop a new payment option for consumers when purchasing a ticket directly from an airline website. It is made possible by the European Commission’s second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), and the UK’s Open Banking regulation. For airlines, the advantages of IATA Pay are: Cheaper payment option compared to other alternatives; Highly secure; Faster cashflow with instant/near instant payment to the merchant; Simpler payment process resulting in fewer lost sales.”


What's New in Payments

Deutsche Bank to let airlines collect payments direct from customers’ bank accounts

Deutsche Bank pilots game-changing payments solution with IATA — Deutsche Bank — “Deutsche Bank will collect customer payments directly from consumer accounts in line with the newly revised EU Payments Services Directive, PSD2. Currently, payments are mainly processed via credit and debit transactions… With direct payments being processed and received in near-real time, IATA’s member airlines will benefit from the acceleration of their funds. This will generate significant working capital and liquidity benefits — reducing days sales outstanding and the cost of funding for these airlines.”


Eight in ten air travellers want to store their passport on their phone

Passengers want technology to give them more control over their travel experience — IATA — “82% of travelers would like to be able to use a digital passport on their smartphones for as many travel activities as possible, from booking flights to passing through the airport. Biometric identification systems were the technology of choice with 64% favoring biometric identifiers as their preferred travel token.”