Newsroom
The days of fumbling through your bag for a boarding pass or waiting in long check-in lines at the airport may soon be over.
A major overhaul to air travel is in the works, with the United Nations aviation agency preparing to roll out a "digital travel credential" system that could replace traditional passports and boarding passes altogether.
Backed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the plan aims to make flying faster, smoother and more secure—by letting passengers move through airports using only their faces and smartphones.
A Journey Pass on Your Phone
Instead of showing a physical passport or scanning a boarding pass, travelers will be able to upload their passport information to their phones and use a "journey pass", a digital version of travel documents that automatically updates with any changes to the flight.
When passengers arrive at the airport, facial recognition systems will identify them, check them in automatically, and even notify the airline of their arrival, no paperwork or QR codes needed.
The ICAO expects the system to be ready within the next three years, but for it to work, airports around the world will need to invest in new tech—such as facial scanners and systems that can read data directly from mobile devices.
A Big Leap for the Travel Industry
According to Valérie Viale, a top executive at travel tech firm Amadeus, this would be the biggest change to air travel since e-tickets replaced paper tickets in the early 2000s.
“Many airline systems haven’t changed in 50 years,” she said. “Now, the industry is ready for a serious tech upgrade—something that looks and feels more like Amazon than an old check-in counter.”
And it won’t just improve convenience. The new system could also help passengers when things go wrong. If a flight is delayed or missed due to issues beyond a passenger’s control, automatic rebooking notifications would be sent to their phones, and their digital pass would update with the new flight details.
What About Privacy?
Of course, with facial recognition and personal data involved, privacy concerns are bound to come up. But companies like Amadeus say their systems are designed with security in mind, deleting passenger data just 15 seconds after each checkpoint interaction.
The goal is to give travelers more control and less hassle while still keeping security standards high.
If successful, the new system could change the way billions of people travel every year, making airports more efficient and your journey from check-in to boarding gate a whole lot smoother.
So next time you're packing for a trip, you might not need to double-check for your passport; just make sure your phone is charged.
*Source: GBNews.com
