Air tourism will undergo the biggest changes in 50 years within two to three years

London, April 14 - Air travel could undergo the biggest changes in 50 years in the next two to three years, the British news website The Times wrote. In practice, this will probably mean that passengers will no longer have to check in before flying and that boarding passes will no longer be issued. Passengers will be able to upload their passport to their mobile phones and pass through passport control using only their smartphones and facial recognition technology.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency, will change existing rules for airports and airlines by introducing a new "digital travel pass" that will allow passport data stored on their mobile phones to be used during their journey, according to The Times.

Thanks to the change, which could come in two to three years, passengers will no longer have to check in online before departure. Instead, they will be able to download a "travel pass" to their mobile phones when they buy a ticket, which will be automatically updated if their booking changes.

Without check-in, airlines will be notified of a passenger’s intention to fly when they arrive at the airport and their face is scanned. For passengers with luggage, this will happen at self-service baggage drop-off. Those travelling with hand luggage only will be digitally screened at the gates before security.

Currently, passengers must check-in online or at the airport, where they are issued a boarding pass with a code that they then present to validators, including at the gate before departure.

“These changes are the biggest in 50 years,” said Valérie Viale, director of product management at Amadeus, the world’s largest travel technology company. “Many airline systems have not changed in over 50 years because everything has to be aligned across the industry and interoperable,” she added.

The plan will require upgrading airport infrastructure to include facial recognition technology and the ability to read passport data from a mobile phone. Airport data validators will only verify information - comparing the face with the passport photo - but will not store it to ensure privacy.

The way delays and transfers are handled could also change. Under the technology being developed, passengers who miss their connecting flight due to delays beyond their control could automatically receive a notification with details of their new flight. Their travel document would be automatically updated and they could board the new flight.

Czech press agency | WT.24