Blockchain tokens will allow passengers to use biometric verification at airports instead of redundant travel documents

Soon, when we travel, we no longer need to carry and print various travel documents at the airport. We will only need a 'secure single token' to replace the various documents required for customs clearance.

The technology, which is being developed by technology company SITA and major airlines, is based on a blockchain system and was first unveiled at the Air Transport IT Summit in Spain this year.

This revolutionary technology will eliminate the need for passengers to provide travel documents when passing through customs through biometric authentication, and passengers will no longer need to disclose personal information to airport staff.

SITA’s research and development team, called SITA Labs, is developing “secure tokens” that can be downloaded on smartphones and wearable devices – a form of digital passport – to help passengers check in with minimal hassle, cost and increased security.

Jim Peters, SITA’s chief technology officer, said: “We want future travel to be smooth and secure, but the design of current computer systems requires us to provide a lot of transaction data and perform multiple verifications, which greatly reduces the possibility of building a centralized global system.”

“Now with blockchain technology, we have more opportunities to use biometrics. At airports around the world, passengers can verify their identities through biometrics, and no longer need to provide personal information to governments or airlines.”

Blockchain technology ensures privacy, so passengers’ data is secure, encrypted, and cannot be used for other commercial purposes.

At the same time, the application of blockchain technology in the aviation system also eliminates the "exclusive rights" of a single institution to passenger data. The decentralized nature of blockchain ensures that this information can be seen by anyone.

"Blockchain is a database where all transactions are stored and anonymously authenticated. Whether it is used for currency or travel, it simply records an event between multiple parties, but the important thing is that once the information is entered, it cannot be changed. The inherent properties of blockchain are privacy and security," Peters added.

SITA would prefer that the technology be offered proactively by airlines, rather than waiting to gain support from the public before taking action.

In previous trials, 93% of people who experienced it felt good when booking tickets through a "security token", which gave them more autonomy.

The survey found that "once people have experienced the convenience that self-service technology brings to travel, they no longer want to go back to the troublesome world of face-to-face interaction." In the past, the three stages of security check, entry passport control and baggage collection were the worst for passengers, and these three stages are also the areas where self-service technology is least used.

Francesco Violante, CEO of SITA, said: “Knowing that passengers prefer to use their own smart devices and self-service technology to complete their travel needs, airlines, airports and governments should think about how they can transform the passenger experience at security, immigration and baggage reclaim. The technology is available today and we all know that its introduction will be welcomed by passengers.”

SITA divides passengers into four categories: rigorous and planned, enjoyable, internet-savvy, and open to new things. But obviously not everyone belongs to these four categories.

Some people worry that this "one-size-fits-all" self-service approach is not very friendly to some passengers.

Violante added: “It’s clear that passengers love technology. After using the internet, smartphones, automatic doors and other new technologies, most of them will choose to use these conveniences urgently instead of going back to the days when everything needed to be done by a human. Airlines and airports should also pay attention to the importance of ‘ease of use’ for passengers when introducing new technologies to the public.”

In the trial, which was conducted among 9,000 passengers from across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, passengers indicated they wanted more mobile services and baggage information reminders.