Passengers on international flights tested by IATA this year could check in, pass through airport touchpoints, and board across multiple carriers and countries using only their phone, with no physical documents exchanged at any point. Results published by the International Air Transport Association confirm that digital identity wallets are fully operational and interoperable for international air travel, and IATA is now calling on governments to accelerate issuance of Digital Travel Credentials so the experience can scale.
Three scenarios were tested across Europe and Asia-Pacific. British Airways and Japan Airlines ran a multi-carrier transfer sequence through London Heathrow, Hong Kong, and Tokyo Haneda: passengers shared identity data in advance via their digital wallet, then used tap-and-go processing at each airport, with the same identity data recognised seamlessly by both carriers. Air New Zealand tested an airline-managed digital identity ecosystem on its Auckland-Hong Kong route, enabling remote biometric enrolment and fully contactless processing. IndiGo operated a third scenario testing cross-provider wallet interoperability on Bengaluru-based departures.
The range of wallet platforms that worked together was a central finding. Apple Wallet for US passports, Google ID Pass for UK and US credentials, India’s Digi Yatra biometric travel platform, the Air New Zealand Wallet, NEC Face Express, the open-source Multipaz wallet, and SITA Wallet all participated. Passengers from different countries, using different wallet apps on different devices, moved through the same touchpoints without friction. Biometric verification replaced physical document checks at each stage.
The results build on IATA’s Hong Kong-Tokyo digital travel pilot in late 2024, which first demonstrated paperless international travel using digital wallets. The interoperability finding across Apple, Google, Digi Yatra, and other platforms in a single live environment is a meaningful step beyond that earlier test.
“We have proven that digital identity for international travel works securely and efficiently. Governments must accelerate Digital Travel Credentials issuance,” said Willie Walsh, IATA Director General. IATA represents more than 360 airlines accounting for approximately 85 percent of global air traffic. Digital Travel Credentials are ICAO-defined digital equivalents of passports; governments must both issue them and prepare national border systems to accept them before the passenger experience demonstrated in these trials can become routine.
Sources: International Air Transport Association
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
