Air New Zealand and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) have become the first organisations to achieve IATA One ID Certification, establishing the initial formal certifications under the aviation industry’s digital-identity programme. The certifications were presented at the IATA World Passenger Symposium in Macao and cover the use of biometrics and digital identity against global standards for a more streamlined passenger journey.
One ID is designed to allow passengers to confirm their identity and travel documents before reaching the airport, then use facial recognition at airport checkpoints rather than repeatedly presenting passports and boarding passes. The framework supports interoperability across the passenger journey while retaining requirements for digital identity, consent, privacy and governance.
Organisations can be certified in four activity areas: Digitalization of Admissibility, Contactless Travel, Biometric Handling, and Privacy, Consent, and Governance. Air New Zealand and HKIA were certified across all areas applicable to their respective operations.
The certification programme is open to airlines, airports, technology providers and government organisations. It provides a common framework for demonstrating that digital-identity and biometric systems, operational controls and governance arrangements conform to IATA requirements. The announcement did not specify passenger routes, implementation timetables, technology suppliers or any immediate change to procedures for all travellers at either organisation.