Hong Kong International Airport became the first airport worldwide to receive the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) One ID digital identity certification on October 28, 2026. This recognition was announced during IATA’s world passenger symposium held in Macau.
Certification Scope and Flight Token Usage
The certification covers three domains for airport operators: Contactless Travel, Biometric Handling, and Privacy, Consent and Governance. It validates Hong Kong International Airport’s use of its Flight Token system, which employs facial recognition technology to streamline passenger processing. More than 80% of departing passengers at the airport are eligible to use Flight Token at all checkpoints, and over 93 million passengers have
utilized the system since its 2021 launch.
Regulatory Challenges and Adoption Barriers
Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president for operations, safety and security, acknowledged that adoption rates of facial recognition and digital identity systems remain slower than expected. He cited government regulations on data privacy and physical identification checks as significant hurdles. “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, adding, “It’s just not moving at the pace we would have liked.”
Careen
emphasized that differences in regulatory frameworks across countries are the primary obstacle to cross-border biometric system implementation. When asked if geopolitical tensions, including between China and the United States, could impede One ID’s rollout, he stated, “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.” However, Careen indicated he does not expect the US to opt out.
Security and Privacy Assurances from Officials
IATA executives defended One ID’s security and privacy protocols, explaining the system uses a consent-based, transparent data sharing approach with mandatory data deletion after defined periods.
Francis Fong Po-kiu, honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, said, “People’s caution is totally natural – we expect maximum security at international borders.” He added that One ID’s decentralized digital identity and encrypted token system lowers risks by avoiding storage of original biometric images. “IATA’s explanation makes total technical sense,” Fong said, while cautioning that cybersecurity threats remain a concern under real-world conditions.
Vivian Cheung Kar-fay, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the 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.”
Impact on Passengers and Cross-Border Testing
Passengers using Flight Token at Hong Kong International Airport can pass through security and immigration checkpoints without repeatedly presenting travel documents, a process certified under the One ID framework. This reduces queuing times and simplifies passenger flows.
In addition to Hong Kong International Airport, Air New Zealand also received One ID certification for the digitalisation of admissibility processes. The airline completed a trial with Hong Kong International Airport to evaluate cross-border digital identity usage, which reduced the need for physical document presentation and expedited passenger processing.
