Air New Zealand plans ‘digital ID’ for Australian flights

Travellers darting across the Tasman may soon be enjoying a smoother pre-flight experience, as Air New Zealand extends a trial of its ‘digital identity technology’ to Australia.

It’s a solution to the passport shuffle, the airline says.

“Today, customers are required to show their passport multiple times across their journey including for check-in, boarding, transit and arrival processes.”

“With airlines, airports, border agencies and partner airlines all carrying out separate checks, the experience can be time-consuming and fragmented.”

To help change that, Air New Zealand is working with partners to test a digital identity that allows customers to:

• add their passport information in the Air NZ app,
• securely share verified identity information at online check-in,
• and then use that information to support biometric verification at selected touchpoints across the journey.

There’s also integration with the online New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

The technology is designed to make travel easier by prefilling passport details, helping passengers understand what documents they need for their trip and enable verified information to be used across “multiple journey touchpoints.”

Travellers won’t need to repeatedly present their passport throughout their journey.

Instead, at selected airport touchpoints, a live facial scan could be matched to the passport image securely shared from the traveller’s digital wallet, reducing the need for repeated document checks.

The Kiwi carrier began real-world tests of the system – which is built into the Air New Zealand app, and supports the use of Apple Wallet’s Digital ID – last month on the Hong Kong–Auckland route.

“Our ambition is to make travel easier from start to finish. That means fewer document checks, less time queueing and a smoother experience overall,” says airline Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy O’Brien.

“This trial shows how digital identity could help create a more seamless journey, while also improving security through encrypted data and customer-controlled information sharing.”

Air New Zealand now plans to explore a broader pilot and options to trial the technology across different ports, adding that Australia is a key focus for the next phase.

Also read: Get on the no-flights-needed fast track to AirNZ Gold status