July 9, 2025, 6:06 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Many travelers likely find the various checkpoints they must pass through before departure to be the most bothersome part of flying. These individuals may now take notice: The so-called Journey Pass could soon automate everything from check-in to boarding. The system uses advanced facial recognition technology.
Imagine if, before a flight (without checked luggage), you didn’t have to do much more than show up at the gate on time. No prior check-in, no showing a boarding pass—you just walk through. A pleasant thought, right? This could soon become reality with the so-called Journey Pass, a component of the Digital Travel Credential (DTC) program by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Learn more about it at TRAVELBOOK.
Overview
Journey Pass – What’s It All About?
The Journey Pass is designed as a digital travel document, as the name suggests. It aims to replace the traditional check-in process hours before departure, as reported by the British newspaper “The Guardian.” Instead, passengers download the Journey Pass to their smartphone when booking a flight. This pass contains the personal information, travel data, and biometric information needed for travel. The latter has been familiar to many since the introduction of biometric passport photos. Biometric data goes further: It includes individual physical characteristics that can uniquely identify a person—such as fingerprints, retina, voice, or face. Facial recognition is the focus of the Journey Pass.
How It Is Supposed to Work
To use the Journey Pass, travelers must set up their Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) on their smartphone. The ICAO describes the process in a technical presentation. According to this, biometric information from the chip of the electronic passport (eMRTD) is transferred during installation, particularly the stored passport photo. Ideally, passengers also take a selfie via an airline app immediately after booking, which is also stored. Both sets of image data are then matched by the system. At the airport, cameras at various checkpoints recognize the traveler’s face and compare it in real-time with the stored biometric template.
The passenger does not need to show identification or a physical boarding pass—the system identifies them automatically. This saves time. An additional advantage: The Journey Pass informs travelers of changes to the gate or boarding time—updates occur automatically.
A Travel Revolution – But It Comes with Challenges
In several countries, biometric processing is already in use or in the testing phase. Since July 1, 2024, travelers aged 16 and over can test the face-boarding service at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, as reported by colleagues at TECHBOOK. According to the portal “Ink Innovation,” Changi Airport in Singapore plans to automate about 95 percent of its passenger processes by 2026. Security checks there are expected to take only ten seconds. In Dubai and Doha, facial recognition already replaces the passport during boarding, and Miami also uses biometric procedures for entry and exit. India has introduced its system called Digi Yatra at 14 airports, with 15 more to follow.
This year, the Entry/Exit System (EES) is also set to be implemented in Europe. It requires non-EU travelers to register biometrically—to simplify border controls and prevent passport fraud.
Airports in Thailand introduce facial recognition
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Singapore Airport abolishes passport control
Technical Hurdles and Data Privacy Issues
Despite all the advantages, there is still a challenge. For the system to work worldwide, airlines, airports, and technology providers must adhere to common standards. The systems must communicate reliably and interoperably. Clearly, this requires significant investments in the IT infrastructure of many airports. The issue of data privacy also arises. According to ICAO, strict principles apply: Only the necessary biometric features are accessed. These are transmitted encrypted and automatically deleted within 15 seconds after matching. Furthermore, systems should be developed from the outset according to the “Privacy by Design” principle, meaning with built-in data protection.
The direction is set, but the path to worldwide implementation could take several more years. Until then, most of us will likely still have to present a boarding pass a few more times.