Facial Recognition to Replace Boarding Passes in Air Travel Overhaul

UN Aviation Body to Scrap Boarding Passes and Check-Ins in Digital Overhaul

Airports worldwide may soon see the end of traditional boarding passes and manual check-in procedures as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) moves forward with a new digital travel system. The global aviation authority plans to implement a “digital travel credential” framework within the next three years, replacing current documentation and verification methods with facial recognition and mobile-based technology.

The transformation, backed by the United Nations, introduces a streamlined process that allows passengers to travel using a “journey pass” stored on their mobile devices. This digital pass will include passport data and flight details, enabling verification through facial scans at various airport checkpoints. Once implemented, the system could significantly reduce the time spent in queues and improve efficiency throughout the air travel journey.

Passengers will no longer need to manually check in or present physical documents. Instead, upon arriving at the airport, facial recognition systems will automatically detect their identity, alerting airlines of their presence. Any changes to the flight, such as delays or gate changes, will be automatically updated in the digital journey pass, eliminating the need for interaction with service counters in most scenarios.

”The last upgrade of great scale was the adoption of e-ticketing in the early 2000s”

Valérie Viale, director of product management at travel technology firm Amadeus, stated:

"The industry has now decided it's time to upgrade to modern systems that are more like what Amazon would use. Many airline systems haven't changed for more than 50 years because everything has to be consistent across the industry and interoperable."

According to industry experts, the shift towards this contactless and paperless model represents the most significant technological leap in air travel infrastructure in decades. However, it will require extensive upgrades at airports, including the installation of facial recognition hardware and software capable of reading digital passport information from mobile devices.

Privacy remains a central concern in the development of this system. Amadeus has addressed this by ensuring that passengers’ personal data will be erased within 15 seconds after each interaction with airport touchpoints such as security or boarding gates.

The new model also aims to improve how missed connections and delays are managed. In instances where passengers miss connecting flights due to unavoidable delays, automatic updates will be pushed to their journey pass, providing them with new flight details and access without needing to re-check in.

This integrated approach is set to transform the fragmented nature of current airline systems, replacing outdated models with an interconnected digital framework capable of supporting the needs of modern travel.