DALLAS — The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has proposed a significant overhaul of a key air travel process since e-ticketing. 

The UN-affiliated aviation body aims to eliminate traditional boarding passes and check-ins within three years and replace them with a digital, biometric-based ‘journey pass’ system.

The End of Boarding Passes?

Under ICAO’s new Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) program, passengers would no longer need printed boarding passes or physical check-ins. Instead, upon booking, travelers would be issued a secure digital ‘journey pass’ sent to their smartphone. 

This credential would update automatically with booking changes. Speaking to The Times, Valérie Viale of Amadeus called it “possibly the biggest change in aviation in 50 years.” 

Amadeus, one of the world’s largest travel technology providers, has developed a system that processes biometric data at every touchpoint in the airport. To address privacy concerns, the data is deleted within fifteen seconds.

How the ‘Journey Pass’ Works

The DTC system allows authorities to precheck travelers, verify biometrics, and document data in advance, expediting authorization and minimizing the need for manual checks.

A set of guidance documents published in December 2024 by ICAO detailed how DTCs enable governments to verify a digital copy of a traveler’s passport before arrival, ensuring authenticity. This would reduce wait times, enhance border security, and improve the passenger experience.

Early Adoption in the UAE

The move is already underway at airports in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport already use mobile passes and biometric ‘Smart Gates’ to speed up check-in and immigration. 

Since 2023, Emirates (EK) has mandated that most passengers departing from Dubai should utilize mobile boarding passes, and self-check-in kiosks let travelers manage bookings and receive boarding passes. 

Simultaneously, Abu Dhabi has begun its own, the ‘Smart Travel Project’, to establish the world’s first completely document-free airport by 2025, using facial recognition and mobile-based identity verification systems.

Infrastructure, Inclusivity, Privacy‍

Despite its promise, the plan requires costly infrastructure upgrades—particularly for smaller airports—such as facial recognition technology and mobile passport scanners.

Concerns about digital exclusion for those without smartphones or unwilling to share biometric data also remain. According to IDTechWire, critics worry that the transition could harm parts of the population, particularly the elderly, digitally illiterate, or privacy-minded travelers.

Amadeus emphasized that all biometric data is erased 15 seconds after use at checkpoints such as boarding gates or immigration. The system ensures minimal storage and data sharing.

Looking Forward

Although still in pilot phases, ICAO’s initiative comes as the air travel industry increasingly adopts digital tools to improve efficiency and the passenger experience.

If successful, it may transform air travel permanently, eliminating long queues, paperwork, and unnecessary delays—ushering in a new era of flying where biometric identification will be central.

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