Digital Travel Credentials - Removing turbulence in Air Travel Identification

As global air travel surpasses pre-pandemic records in 2024, discussions about how travelers are identified and processed across borders have gained renewed attention. Airports function as complex ecosystems where multiple stakeholders—border control authorities, customs agencies, airlines, and other airport-based businesses—engage in extensive data collection and sharing activities. These interactions create an increasingly intricate web of digital identity management, processing a diverse array of private, biometric, health, and commercial information. With passenger volumes continuing to rise, the air travel sector is facing mounting pressure to develop identification systems that can process travelers quickly and securely while maintaining a seamless experience, balancing efficiency with robust identity verification and security protocols.

In this new policy brief published by the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub, Laurent GROSCLAUDE, Assistant Professor of business and aviation law at the University of Toulouse Capitole, where he manages the LL.M. in International Aviation Law, and Gaetan PRADEL, cybersecurity specialist at Luxembourg's public agency INCERT, provide critical insights into what may be the next frontier in travel documentation and identification: Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs).

The authors methodically clarify the complex governance and standardization framework surrounding DTCs, unraveling both technical specifications and legal considerations essential to developing a coherent global system. Moving beyond the evolution from paper documents to biometric passports, DTCs represent another significant leap forward as they promise efficiency but demand careful navigation of numerous challenges.

Through comprehensive analysis of current legislation, technical standards, and ongoing pilot projects, the authors identify the critical obstacles that the various stakeholders must navigate for DTCs to fulfill their potential in providing efficient, secure, and privacy-respecting identification in a fragmented regulatory landscape.

Their research culminates in a set of actionable recommendations designed to:

• Unify legal frameworks across different jurisdictions
• Strengthen privacy protections in digital identity systems
• Scale existing experimental implementations
• Expand DTC applications beyond air travel to include terrestrial and maritime transportation

This policy brief serves as an essential resource for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers, involved in the air sector or interested in digital identification technologies, seeking to understand how digital travel credentials can "take off" while respecting fundamental rights and addressing the practical challenges of global implementation. As international travel continues its post-pandemic resurgence, the insights provided by the authors offer a valuable roadmap for navigating the complex intersection of technology, law, and human mobility in our increasingly connected world.

Learn more by reading the full policy brief: Digital Travel Credentials - Removing turbulence in Air Travel Identification (PDF, 663 Ko)