Photo credit: www.theguardian.com
The era of searching for your boarding pass or anxiously rushing to check in before a flight could soon become a thing of the past as significant changes to air travel are on the horizon.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency tasked with developing global airline policies, is proposing a major transformation in airport and airline operations by introducing a “digital travel credential.”
This innovation would enable travelers to store their passport information on personal devices for smoother travel experiences. If implemented, these updates could be rolled out within three years, as reported by the Times.
At present, travelers must check in either online or at the airport, after which they receive a barcode-embedded boarding pass. This pass is scanned at various airport checkpoints, including the boarding gate, throughout the travel process.
The proposed changes aim to eliminate the need for traditional boarding passes and check-in procedures altogether. Instead, passengers will download a “journey pass” to their mobile devices upon booking their flights. This pass would automatically reflect any modifications made to the reservation.
Moreover, travelers will have the capability to upload their passport details to their phones, allowing them to navigate through the airport using facial recognition technology for identity verification. Airlines will receive notifications when passengers arrive and their faces are scanned, rather than relying on the manual check-in process to track who is set to board.
Valérie Viale, who oversees product management at Amadeus, a leading travel technology firm, characterized these innovations as “the biggest in 50 years.” She noted that the last significant upgrade was the shift to electronic ticketing in the early 2000s, emphasizing that the industry is now ready to embrace modern systems, akin to those utilized by major tech companies like Amazon.
To successfully implement these developments, airports will need significant upgrades in infrastructure, including advancements in facial recognition and capabilities for reading passports from mobile devices.
Viale highlighted the challenge faced by airlines, explaining, “Many airline systems haven’t changed for more than 50 years due to the need for consistency and interoperability across the industry.”
While the new technology presents potential privacy concerns, Amadeus has assured that its system will ensure that passenger data is deleted within 15 seconds after each interaction at critical touchpoints, such as security checks.
Additionally, the management of flight delays and connections could be enhanced. With the new technology, passengers who miss connecting flights because of uncontrollable delays may receive immediate notifications with updated travel information sent directly to their phones. Their journey pass would be updated automatically, allowing them to board the new flight seamlessly.
Viale explained the current limitations of airline systems, stating, “At the moment, airlines operate with highly siloed systems. The reservation system, for example, communicates with delivery systems only when check-in opens. In the future, the process will be more integrated, allowing for a dynamic journey pass.”
Source
www.theguardian.com