The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that Air New Zealand and Hong Kong International Airport have become the first organizations to receive “One ID Certification.”
One ID is an international industry standard for using digital identity and biometric authentication throughout the passenger journey. By completing identity and travel-document verification before arriving at the airport, passengers can pass through each checkpoint using facial recognition rather than repeatedly presenting their passports and boarding passes.
The new certification scheme assures airlines, airports, and governments that an organization’s digital identity and biometric authentication operations meet IATA’s international standards. It covers four areas: digitalization of entry eligibility, contactless travel, biometric data handling, and privacy, consent, and governance. Airlines, airports, and technology providers are eligible, and both organizations received certification in all areas applicable to their respective operations.
In IATA’s 2026 Global Passenger Survey, 78% of passengers said they would be willing to share biometric data if it meant they would not need to present physical travel documents at airport checkpoints.
Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, commented: “Digital identity can significantly simplify travel, but only when all stakeholders involved in the journey can trust how others verify identity, handle biometric data, and protect privacy.”
Vivian Cheung, Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said of Hong Kong International Airport’s self-service biometric authentication system, Flight Token: “Currently, more than 80% of departing passengers at the airport can use Flight Token at all departure checkpoints. Since its introduction in 2021, it has been used by more than 93 million passengers.”
Jeremy O’Brien, Chief Customer and Digital Officer at Air New Zealand, said that trials conducted with Hong Kong International Airport demonstrated that digital identity can work across borders and reduce the need for documents and queues.
To promote the adoption of digital identity, IATA is advancing initiatives including cooperation with governments to enable the issuance and acceptance of Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs), the Contactless Travel Directory to support the introduction of biometric IDs, and Timatic AutoCheck to automate travel-document verification.
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