Travellers want iPhones to replace passports – IATA survey

Why shouldn’t it be this convenient?

There is no doubt that you will eventually use your iPhone and other forms of biometric ID to replace your passport. Not only have these devices replaced wallets, but its what travellers want, according to a recent survey from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Passengers want it this way

IATA, which represents airlines, ran a passenger survey to identify trends in what people expect from their flights.

It found that 75% of travellers would rather use biometric ID than passports of boarding passes when going through flight gates and border control. The survey also found that over a third of all passengers have now used some form of biometric identification.

It doesn’t stop there.

While Apple’s Airtags may face a temporary ban from some airlines, that stop won’t last forever, it appears. IATA claims half of survey responded have used word would like to use an electronic bag tag to expedite check in and baggage handling.

One challenge is around data. Over 50% of passengers are concerned about data, date breaches data sharing and date storage. That’s probably a good reason not to collect the data in the first place.

What IATA said

“Passengers clearly see technology as key to improving the convenience of airport processes.  They want to arrive at the airport ready-to-fly, get through the airport at both ends of their journey more quickly using biometrics and know where their baggage is always.

“The technology exists to support this ideal experience.

“But we need cooperation across the value chain and with governments to make it happen. And we need to continuously reassure passengers that the data needed to support such an experience will be safely kept,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.

[Also read: All Delta Airlines pilots to use M1 iPad Pros as flight bags]

“Travel during COVID-19 was complex, cumbersome and time consuming due to government-imposed travel requirements. Post-pandemic, passengers want improved convenience throughout their trip. Digitalization and use of biometrics to speed up the travel journey is the key.”

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