Air Travel Set to Undergo Revolutionary Change with Digital Travel CredentialAir Travel Set to Undergo Revolutionary Change with Digital Travel Credential

In the future, air passengers may no longer need physical boarding passes or wait in long queues at the airport to complete cumbersome check - in procedures. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations - affiliated agency, is actively promoting a revolutionary air travel reform plan. The aim is to globally promote the "Digital Travel Credential" (DTC) within three years, completely transforming the existing airport clearance and flight check - in processes.

 

"Digital Travel Credential": Mobile Phones as Passports, Boarding with Face Scans
According to ICAO's initial concept, passengers will be able to securely store their passport information on their mobile phones as electronic identification. By then, passengers will no longer need to go through traditional physical check - ins or present paper boarding passes. Instead, they can complete the entire boarding process through facial recognition technology and the electronic credential on their mobile phones.

Simplified Processes, Improved Efficiency, and Enhanced Security
Currently, before boarding a flight, passengers need to check in online or at the airport, obtain a boarding pass, and have their barcodes scanned at various checkpoints in the airport for identity verification. Once the "Digital Travel Credential" is fully implemented, passengers only need to use their mobile phones to complete identity verification and boarding procedures. This will greatly simplify the entry - exit process and improve travel efficiency. ICAO states that it is working closely with governments, airlines, and technology companies to strike a balance between information security and passenger privacy. If all goes well, this digital transformation in the aviation industry is expected to be officially launched within three years.

"Journey Pass": One - Click Update, Say Goodbye to Tedium
In the future, after booking a flight, passengers will directly download the "Journey Pass" to their mobile phones. Paper boarding passes and traditional check - in procedures will gradually become a thing of the past. If there are any changes to the flight, the information on the pass will be automatically updated without passengers having to confirm repeatedly.

"Face - Scanning" Clearance, Contact - less Travel
Passengers can also upload their passport information to their mobile phones and, in combination with facial recognition technology, achieve fast and contact - less clearance. Airlines will no longer rely on passengers' manual check - ins to confirm their boarding intentions. Instead, they will receive real - time notifications of passengers' arrivals through the facial information scanned at the airport.

The "Amazonization" of the Aviation Industry: The Largest - Scale Upgrade in 50 Years
Valérie Viale, the product management director of the globally renowned travel technology company Amadeus, believes that this will be "the largest - scale upgrade in the aviation industry in the past 50 years." She points out that "the last major innovation was the introduction of e - tickets in the early 21st century, and this time it is a comprehensive move towards a modern operating model similar to that of Amazon."

Airport Infrastructure Upgrades and Privacy Security Guarantees
To support this transformation, airports must upgrade their infrastructure, including facial recognition systems and devices that can read passport data from mobile phones. Viale also admits that many systems in the aviation industry have remained unchanged for 50 years to maintain global consistency and interoperability, and now the crucial transformation moment has finally arrived. Although the new technology may raise privacy concerns, Amadeus claims to have developed a system with high - privacy standards to ensure that passenger data is automatically deleted within 15 seconds after each "contact point" (such as the verification checkpoint before security checks), safeguarding personal information security.

Synchronized Evolution of Connecting Flight and Delay Handling Mechanisms
In the future, the handling mechanisms for connecting flights and delays will also evolve simultaneously. If passengers miss a connecting flight due to reasons beyond their control, the system will automatically send a notification on their mobile phones, provide information on re - booking flights, and automatically update the Journey Pass to help passengers board smoothly. Viale emphasizes that "the current aviation system is still highly fragmented, with the booking system and the boarding system belonging to different platforms. In the future, it will shift to a more coherent and dynamic model, with the Journey Pass serving as the passenger's digital identity and credential throughout the journey."