Hong Kong International Airport became one of the first two global organizations to earn the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) One ID digital identity certification on October 28, 2026. The airport was certified in the areas of contactless travel, biometric handling, and privacy, consent, and governance, establishing a benchmark for biometric and digital identity use in air travel.
The airport’s Flight Token system, introduced in 2021, employs facial recognition technology to allow passengers to pass through key checkpoints without repeatedly presenting passports or boarding passes. More than 80 percent of departing passengers at Hong Kong International Airport qualify to use
the Flight Token, with over 93 million having used the system since its launch.
Regulatory and Privacy Challenges in Biometric Adoption
Despite the technological advances, adoption of facial recognition at airports worldwide remains slow. Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president for operations, safety and security, attributed this to restrictive government legislation regarding data privacy and physical identity verification. He said, “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 identified differing regulations between countries as the primary
obstacle to enabling seamless biometric identification across borders. He added that if some countries, such as the United States, choose not to participate in One ID, implementation will not halt but would be less optimal. According to Careen, U.S. passenger demand for smoother journeys will likely motivate eventual involvement.
Privacy, Consent and Data Governance Under One ID
The One ID framework emphasizes passenger control and transparency over biometric data sharing to improve security compared to existing systems where airlines share data with governments. Passengers consent to data use for each journey and organization, with personal information deleted after a defined period.
Francis Fong Po-kiu, honorary president of the
Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, affirmed that passengers’ caution about sharing biometric data at international borders is natural. He said One ID’s use of decentralized digital identity technology and encrypted tokens enhances privacy by minimizing storage of original biometric images, reducing risks associated with data breaches. Fong stated, “IATA’s explanation makes total technical sense,” though he cautioned cybersecurity threats will remain a challenge.
Air New Zealand’s Participation in One ID Trials
Air New Zealand was the other initial recipient of IATA’s One ID certification, recognized for digitalizing admissibility verification of passengers’ entry documents. The airline carried out a trial with Hong Kong International Airport to test the cross-border
application of digital identity systems, aiming to reduce the need for physical document presentation and queueing at checkpoints.
Official Statements on One ID Certification
Vivian Cheung Kar-fay, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the certification affirmed the airport’s commitment to innovation and verified that its biometric processes meet global standards. She commented, “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.”
Nick Careen stated that achieving the One ID certification shows Hong Kong International Airport has set an industry benchmark. He emphasized that digital travel will succeed only with
trust in identity verification and data privacy safeguards.
Francis Fong emphasized the natural caution over biometric data use at borders, stating, “People’s caution is totally natural – we expect maximum security at international borders.” He observed One ID’s privacy protections surpass those of typical online applications.
