< Previous50 www.aviationbusinessme.com DEPARTURE LOUNGE March 2019 · AVIATION BUSINESS One of the most exciting initia- tives in the modern aviation industry is IATA’s concept of ONE ID for airlines - an “end- to-end passenger experience that is secure, seamless and effi cient”. The thinking behind the idea is as intuitive as it is ambi- tious: to provide passengers with a friction- less airport experience that allows them to get from the entrance to the gate without “breaking their stride”. Many of the benefi ts of ONE ID are self- evident. Passenger numbers are increasing year-on-year, which is putting strain on air- port infrastructure. This in turn is creating pressure on airlines to increase effi ciency to accommodate higher volumes of passen- gers going through security, border checks, and catching fl ights every day. At the same time, customer expectations for conveni- ence are also rising. According to research from IATA, a queuing time above 10 min- utes is now considered unacceptable by the majority of passengers. Therefore, ONE ID is a necessity to future proof against increas- ing volumes of passengers, while maintain- ing an acceptable passenger experience. The other major benefi t of ONE ID comes from the impetus to improve data accuracy and, in turn, aviation and airport security. Currently, carriers are unable to share data about passengers and rely on one-off document checks. This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that, on average, travellers are only 50% accurate when fi lling out the API information required to fl y. This means that airlines not only waste time and resource checking each passenger iden- tifi cation multiple times in the airport, but they also spend time and money correcting data. Government fi nes mean that failing to check this data diligently also results in costs for airlines and there are increasing demands from governments for airlines to provide more accurate passenger data. The solution proposed through ONE ID would improve passenger experience while allowing airlines to meet the require- ments of national authorities. IATA has proposed the introduction of digital proof of identity through a token, which will include both the passenger’s travel docu- ment and boarding pass. This token would be generated by the passenger before trav- el and could be used and re-used to iden- tify the passenger as they move through the airport. The passenger’s identity would be biometrically verifi ed without the pas- senger ever being stopped or having to identify themselves. However, any ambitious initiative has its challenges, and there are some hurdles to be overcome before this becomes a reality. Firstly, this means the widespread adoption and standardisation of biometric verifi cation solutions, which are critical for facilitating the seamless identifi cation of passengers in the airport. While many international airports have deployed forms of biometric verifi cation, these proof of concept solutions are still emerging be- yond pilot stage to become widespread and consistently deployed. Like biographic data, biometric data needs to be standard- ised by a regulator so there are high-quali- ty, structured data sets that can be fed into ONE ID that the industry has agreed on. Secondly, ONE ID is reliant on the abil- ity to securely share and verify passenger information between airlines and computer systems with no data exposure, which is currently not possible. Without a trusted system for sharing data, airlines have re- sorted to keeping it siloed in their own sys- tems, necessitating the same passenger’s ID to be checked multiple times. The solution here is the blockchain, which is designed to overcome the chal- lenges of trustless ecosystems such as this. Through the blockchain, data can be shared between parties as a token, which means that no data is exposed in transit. Data is also decentralised on the block- chain, which means there is no central store that can be hacked or breached, a major issue that is currently facing airlines. Blockchain solutions, therefore uphold what is known in the security industry as “privacy by design” - where data security and obscurity are built into the system, rather than added in retrospect. According to independent security testers, it would take millions of years to break into just one passenger ID held in the blockchain. This security is critical, as it allows ONE ID to increase the accuracy and effi ciency of identifi cation while maintaining the pri- vacy of personal data. Increasing data mark- ers through biometrics will aid verifi cation, however passengers and regulators are increasingly sensitive to the protection and control over personal data. In Europe, for example, GDPR has put far tighter controls on the handling of personally identifi able information (PII). For ONE ID to be inter- nationally adopted, the highest standards of data privacy will have to be upheld. The ability to safely share tokens that contain passenger ID quickly between air- lines, the airport, and government regula- tors via a trusted system where the quality of data is guaranteed, will allow the full realisation of ONE ID. As biometric and blockchain solutions move past the pilot phase and reach maturity, ONE ID will move from a “vision” to reality. How to realise the vision of ONE ID for airlines Irra Ariella Khi, CEO of VChain, shares her viewpoint on the value of ONE ID and what it means for the realm of aviationTHE HOME OF PRIVATE AVIATION AT THE SPEED OF BUSINESS T: +971 (0)4 870 1800 | www.dc-aviation.ae | An Al-Futtaim Joint Venture Al Maktoum International Airport | DWC | Aviation District | Dubai, UAE Passion for excellence is our trademark. In everything we do, our goal is to meet and surpass your expectations. Our highly trained staff are always on hand to ensure your complete satisfaction, both on the ground and in the air. Our unrivalled facilities located at Dubai World Central guarantee your utmost discretion, comfort and convenience every time you fly. 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