Hong Kong International Airport became one of the first two organisations to obtain the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) One ID digital identity certification on October 28, 2026. The airport achieved certification in contactless travel, biometric handling, and privacy, consent, and governance, setting a global standard for passenger identity verification using biometric technology.
Flight Token Facial Recognition Usage
Since its launch in 2021, Hong Kong International Airport’s Flight Token system has enabled more than 93 million passengers to use facial recognition technology to move through key checkpoints without repeatedly presenting passports and boarding passes. Currently, over 80 percent of departing passengers are eligible to use
Flight Token throughout their departure process.
IATA’s Role and Regulatory Challenges
Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president for operations, safety and security, highlighted regulatory hurdles slowing the adoption of biometric digital identity for travel. He said the lack of unified legislation on data privacy and physical identity checks is hindering adoption. “Until governments truly unlock the legislation and regulations required, not only around data privacy, but also around identification checks and the requirement for that to be done physically … we are going to have a slow adoption rate, unfortunately,” Careen said.
Careen also dismissed concerns that geopolitical tensions would stall the programme, noting, “If the
US decides that they don’t want to get involved and they don’t want to participate, that’s fine. It would be unfortunate, but it’s fine.” He added he expects U.S. travel demand for smoother journeys to drive participation.
Airport Authority Hong Kong’s Commitment
Vivian Cheung Kar-fay, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the certification affirms the airport’s commitment to innovation and improving the passenger experience. “This certification affirms our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience through innovation and demonstrates that HKIA’s digital identity and biometric processes meet IATA’s global standards,” Cheung said. She noted that the certification provides a strong foundation for extending the Flight
Token system beyond Hong Kong.
Privacy and Security Perspectives
Francis Fong Po-kiu, honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, recognised travellers’ privacy concerns but noted the One ID system’s technical approach enhances protection. He said the use of decentralised digital identity technology and encrypted tokens allows verification without storing original biometric images, reducing risks associated with data breaches. “People’s caution is totally natural – we expect maximum security at international borders,” Fong said. He added, “IATA’s explanation makes total technical sense,” though he cautioned cybersecurity challenges remain complex.
Air New Zealand’s One ID Certification
Air New Zealand received the other One ID certification for the digitalisation of admissibility,
verifying passenger entry documents digitally. The airline recently conducted a trial with Hong Kong International Airport to test cross-border digital identity use, aiming to reduce queue times and the need for manual document checks during travel.
