Air New Zealand and Hong Kong airport are first to gain IATA One ID certification

Air New Zealand and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) have become the first organisations to achieve IATA One ID Certification, the International Air Transport Association announced in Macao on 28 October 2026. The certificates were presented at IATA's World Passenger Symposium.

One ID is a set of global industry standards for using digital identity and biometrics across the passenger journey. Under the concept, passengers confirm their identity and travel documents before reaching the airport and then pass checkpoints using facial recognition instead of repeatedly showing a passport and boarding pass. The certification is meant to assure airlines, airports and governments that an organisation's use of these technologies meets the standards. It covers four areas: Digitalization of Admissibility, Contactless Travel, Biometric Handling, and Privacy, Consent and Governance. Both organisations were certified in all areas applicable to their operations.

At HKIA, the self-service biometric system Flight Token lets passengers use facial recognition at key departure checkpoints. According to IATA, more than 80% of departing passengers there are eligible to use it at all departure checkpoints, and more than 93 million passengers have used it since its launch in 2021. Air New Zealand ran a trial with HKIA showing how digital identity could work across borders with less documentation and queuing. IATA's 2026 Global Passenger Survey found that 78% of passengers would share biometric information to avoid presenting physical travel documents at checkpoints.

The certification does not by itself replace passports or change entry rules: governments still decide which documents they accept. The announcement does not give routes or dates for wider use of the Air New Zealand trial, so passengers should keep carrying the travel documents their journey requires and check the airport's own guidance on biometric processing.