The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stands poised to revolutionize global air travel. They will pilot a “digital travel credential,” which could upend current federal rules governing airport security and airlines. This new technology is part of a larger effort to create a more seamless travel experience, including the possible elimination of boarding passes and check-in altogether. The ICAO wants all of these amendments in place within the next three years.
The digital travel credential is a big jump from other systems as the travel ecosystem has been relatively stagnant with legacy systems firmly rooted for decades. Airlines today still work off siloed systems—a fragmented patchwork that limits their ability to integrate and provide a seamless experience. That’s the big problem, according to Valérie Viale, director of product management at Amadeus. Airline systems have been static for 50 years. This stagnation happens because the whole industry needs consistency and interoperability.
Travel technology giant Amadeus is one of the companies leading this charge for modernization. They have developed a system that ensures passengers’ details are purged within 15 seconds of each interaction with a “touchpoint,” such as pre-security gates. That quick data processing increases security. Along the way, it addresses potential privacy issues associated with the emerging digital credential.
Viale calls the expected changes “the largest in 50 years.” The previous big change in business technology for air travel came with the introduction of e-ticketing in the early 2000s. Now, the industry recognizes the necessity of updating its systems to be more aligned with modern technology, akin to those employed by e-commerce giants like Amazon.
The seek for a digital travel credential counters a bigger international push to modernize the air travel infrastructure. People rightfully complain about existing systems for not playing nice with each other and lack of configurability. This often leads to inefficiencies and can leave customers upset. A digital travel credential would address each one of these concerns directly. This exciting solution will go a long way toward creating a seamless, high-quality travel experience for passengers.
Despite the potential for speeding up air travel, the future of this technology brings up important issues surrounding data privacy and security. We encourage stakeholders in the industry to reflect on these implications as they work to realize the promises of this nascent technology.