Industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it has come up a blueprint to "enable travellers to digitally prove admissibility to an international destination" and skip producing a passport or stopping at the check-in desk and boarding gate.
The IATA said airlines are working with it on ways to "digitalise the passenger experience at airports"by implementing "contactless biometric-enabled processes" that would work via smart phone.
The "One ID" initiative would be a "mechanism for passengers to digitally obtain all necessary pre-travel authorisations directly from governments before their trip", which if approved would grant them an “OK to Fly” status, avoiding the usual checks. Manual or in-person procedures would still be possible for those who prefer them, the IATA said,
The IATA cited a recent survey that it said found 83% of respondents "willing to share immigration information for expedited processing".
Airlines and governments would see "improved data quality, streamlined resourcing requirements and identification of admissibility issues before passengers get to the airport,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security.
Passengers would be "in control" of their data, the IATA said, adding that the One ID system would be "convenient and secure".