The recovery from the pandemic is almost complete with some 4.4 billion passengers expected to fly in 2023. International traffic has increased from a standstill in April 2020 to reach about 84% of 2019 levels.
With passenger numbers expected to double by 2040, the focus has once again turned to aviation infrastructure on the ground. Already, in summer 2022 there were issues with congestion at key nodes in the air transport network. Both London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol were forced to limit flights, for example. In fact, the majority of the top 100 airports are expected to be capacity-constrained by 2030.
With new airports few and far between, especially in mission-critical cities, the industry’s only option to accommodate demand is greatly improving passenger facilitation through the existing airport footprint. Automating manual processes and even moving them off airport will be integral to the success of this initiative.
“The main reasons passengers need be checked by airline, airport, and border control agents are for identification, access control and travel documentation checks, such as confirmation of a visa,” says Alan Murray Hayden, IATA’s Director, Airlines, Airports and Security Operational and Compliance Solutions. “But many of these procedures can all be pushed off airport through a combination of Timatic and contactless travel as stipulated by IATA’s One ID initiative.”
Timatic
Timatic is integrated in almost all airline departure control systems as part of their check-in process, making it an essential element in speeding up passenger processing times and improving throughput.
Timatic is a one-stop verification platform that enables airlines to confirm whether a passenger is eligible to fly. Pre-pandemic more than 700 million passengers per year had their passport details, visa requirements, and other travel-related documentation checked by Timatic.
Typically, about 85% of passengers are green-lighted for travel with various issues red-flagging the remaining 15%. And the whole process is virtually instantaneous, from the latest government requirements being inputted to the outcomes of passenger checks.
As robust as Timatic is—and Murray Hayden draws attention to the enormous value it provided during the pandemic when rules could change on an hourly basis—IATA is rolling out an upgraded version as of 1 January 2024, with migration to this platform to be completed by 31 December 2024.
The new version of Timatic AutoCheck will deliver an improved passenger experience, more efficient operations, and reduced costs.
“Before, a passenger trying to check-in online might just have received a note asking them to see an agent,” explains Murray Hayden. “There would have been no explanation, and the situation would have to be resolved at a counter just prior to the flight, causing queues and anxiety.
“Now, a passenger will get explicit information about a problem in clear, conversational language and they will have the ability to upload a visa or other details that will allow them to pursue an automated process.”
In turn, check-in staff are freed up to deliver more value-added services and there is less likelihood of mistakes being made due to time pressure. Airlines avoid costly fines as a result.
Contactless travel
Contactless travel, encapsulated by IATA’s One ID initiative, is the second crucial element in facilitating increased passenger throughput and processing speed without expanding the airport footprint.
One ID will bring multiple benefits to all stakeholders. Passengers will have a much-improved travel experience and no longer need to juggle between different documents. By having the opportunity to share the minimum data necessary with airlines, airports and governments prior to departure, passengers can arrive at the airport ready to fly and can pass all airline touchpoints using biometrics. Queues and repetitive documentation checks will be consigned to the history books.
One ID will also enable significant cost savings for airlines and free up staff for value-added services, bringing further commercial opportunities. And governments will benefit from strengthened border control thanks to pre-travel, quality data…
