Amadeus to help ICAO advance digital transformation in air travel

Amadeus is joining the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) initiative to bring digital identity, biometrics, data management and other solutions into air travel.

​The travel technology company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday on joining ICAO’s initiative No Country Left Behind (NCLB), which aims to help countries advance digital transformation in air travel by adopting ICAO standards and specifications.​

Amadeus will help this goal by promoting the interoperability of biometrics between different countries in line with the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) and the organization’s Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD) specification, Doc 9303.

“The digitalization of identity documentation and management is essential to the sustainability of air transport’s expansion and transformation,” says Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO secretary general. “ICAO’s collaboration with Amadeus will help enable our member states’ effective adoption of these new technologies.”

The travel technology firm will also provide technical assistance to states and organize training programs focused on the technical and regulatory aspects of digital identity and biometrics in air travel and border control.

​The first results are expected to be published in the first half of 2026, the duo says in a release.

​No Country Left Behind was founded in 2014 after ICAO noticed large differences in how states implement ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). One of the main focuses of the initiative is on developing countries.

​According to ICAO’s 2026–2050 Strategic Plan, the organization plans to increase the number of partnerships with industry stakeholders, training institutions and donor states.

“As the industry applies powerful technologies that improve the experience of travel, we need global coordination and collaboration more than ever before,” says Rudy Daniello, executive vice president of AirOps at Amadeus.​

ICAO has already launched collaborative training programs with Emirates Airlines and signed partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea.

Aside from promoting digital transformation, NCLB deals with safety and security and sustainability.

Article Topics

airport biometrics  |  Amadeus  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  digital travel  |  digital travel credentials  |  ICAO  |  interoperability