Airside rolls out biometric digital health pass, Amadeus integrates IBMs

Airside‘s fully integrated digital health pass solution has launched, allowing people to use biometrics to secure and easily access their stored information related to COVID-19 vaccinations as the world looks forward to resuming normal travel.

A company statement said the Airside Digital Identity Network will serve as a platform for the sharing of personal identity information by travellers using the Airside Digital ID app.

Businesses and organizations can also use the platform to seek verified digital identity information so they can provide consumers with benefits and services without the liability and cost of storing sensitive personal data.

With Airside’s technology, two layers of trust have been added to the digital health pass as it enables the linking of biometric-based and verified mobile IDs to an individual’s vaccination details so they can be timely shared upon request and consent with trusted organizations such as airlines or governments, the announcement explains.

Airside added face biometrics to its travel app through a partnership with Tascent in late-2020.

Airside then teamed with Acuant in May to make the handing of biometric data and other personal information for mobile identification of Airside’s digital health passes more secure and enhance user control.

Amena Ali, CEO of Airside, said the new Airside solution is timely as storing and presenting information related to COVID vaccination is increasingly becoming complicated.

“Many people have been vaccinated in multiple locations, and they have no central, digital record to easily access, so we are helping them do that – both today and in the future with the potential for additional booster shots. Using the Airside Digital Identity App and underlying Network to manage and access this health data is a timely and powerful concept for consumers and businesses for peace of mind, travel, education and work,” said Ali.

Airside says its Airside Mobile Passport has not only had nine million downloads, over 30 U.S. airports and cruise ports depend on it for smooth travel as it spares people stress from using shared touchpoints, lining up in queues and overcrowding.

Amadeus, IBM partner for COVID digital pass interoperability

IBM has partnered to integrate its Digital Health Pass into Amadeus’ Traveler ID for Safe Travel digital health verification solution to facilitate the process of validating the COVID-related information of travellers.

A joint statement from both companies says the integration will make it possible for airlines to integrate the use of COVID-19 digital health credentials into their existing reservation and booking system, allowing airline passengers the option to scan or upload documentation to show their health credentials.

The statement explains that passengers going through online checks can have their generated COVID digital credentials verified using IBM Digital Health Pass, which uses a combination of encryption and blockchain technologies to authenticate COVID-19 health credentials against a global ecosystem of labs, vaccination centers and healthcare providers.

Greg Land, Travel and Transportation Industry Lead at IBM, said “the integration of IBM Digital Health Pass into Amadeus’ Traveler ID for Safe Travel is designed to provide airlines with open technologies they can build into existing digital solutions,” and can enable them “safely meet border entry requirements while delivering a smoother customer experience.”

“The integration with IBM is a step-change for Traveler ID for Safe Travel. The combination of the IBM Digital Health Pass with our Traveler ID for Safe Travel technology means that COVID-19 health documents can be digitized and read, verified, and authenticated. This avoids cumbersome and time-consuming checks while traveling, and adds further reassurance to airlines and their passengers,” said Amadeus VP for Safe Travel Ecosystem Christian Warneck.

Warneck added: “This is another milestone in the collaboration we are driving through our Safe Travel Ecosystem. By working hand in hand with customers and partners such as IBM, we can deliver the capabilities needed by travel providers and travelers to help provide a smooth passenger journey once more.”

Many airlines currently use the Traveller ID for Safe Travel solution and many more are said to be unveiled soon, according to the statement. The solution can also be used by organizations in other sectors such as hospitality and transportation.

Article Topics

Airside Mobile  |  Amadeus  |  biometrics  |  credentials  |  digital identity  |  health passes  |  identity verification  |  interoperability  |  mobile app  |  travel and tourism