{"id":823446,"date":"2025-05-10T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=823446"},"modified":"2025-05-10T13:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T11:03:14","slug":"south-africans-could-kiss-passports-and-boarding-passes-goodbye-at-airports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/technology\/823446\/south-africans-could-kiss-passports-and-boarding-passes-goodbye-at-airports\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africans could kiss passports and boarding passes goodbye at airports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New airport laws aim to replace physical passports and boarding passes with a smartphone-based system at airports worldwide, including South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has proposed<\/a><\/strong> replacing physical boarding passes and passports with a so-called \u201cdigital travel credential\u201d (DTC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ICAO DTC combines physical and digital security features to support efficient and secure traveller processing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation explained that these features consist of the DTC Virtual Component and the DTC Physical Component. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DTC Virtual Component (DTC\u2010VC) is the digital representation of the passport\u2019s data, cryptographically linked to the issuing authority (i.e. digitally signed by the issuer),\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verifiers can then check the digital signature to confirm the credential is authentic and has not been altered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DTC Physical Component (DTC\u2010PC) is a carrier for the DTC\u2010VC and serves as a physical authenticator. The ICAO explained that this will be the app or device used to carry the DTC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DTC will be on travellers\u2019 smartphones and employ facial recognition technology to verify their identities every step of the way,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will allow individuals to travel between airports at their home and end destinations without stopping or showing a travel document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ICAO argues that implementing such systems will speed up airport processes and reduce identity fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ICAO is a United Nations agency guided by its Member States. It establishes standards, practices, and policies related to air travel to improve facilitation and security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Smith, Director of Industry and Innovation at Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Internationale de T\u00e9l\u00e9communications A\u00e9ronautiques (SITA), supports the global shift towards a digital travel credential (DTC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on the proposal, Smith said<\/a><\/strong> the industry has been moving in this direction for some time.\u00a0“This transformation is not just a future aspiration but is already being implemented in various forms, such as eVisas,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith pointed out that increasing complexity in international travel, such as the need for electronic travel authorisations (ETAs), visas, and repeated identity checks, has made the traditional process cumbersome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the industry aims to simplify this by enabling travellers to complete much of the airport and airline processing \u201cat home in a relaxed and comfortable environment where there\u2019s often less time pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to this effort is creating a secure digital version of the passport, stored on a traveller’s phone and developed in line with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This digital passport can then be linked with visas and other travel authorisations, letting travellers know they are fully prepared even before heading to the airport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou’re going to have a seamless experience through the airport,\u201d he added, \u201cand more importantly, when you get to your destination, you’re going to have a very simplified arrival experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not mandatory<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Andy Smith, Director of Industry and Innovation at Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Internationale de T\u00e9l\u00e9communications A\u00e9ronautiques (SITA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Despite its aim of making the travel experience between airports more efficient and less cumbersome for travellers, Smith noted that the digital alternative will be optional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe system does rely on smartphone technology, particularly features like facial recognition and the ability to read the chip embedded in modern passports,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, Smith acknowledged that not everyone will be able or willing to use this technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always, as an industry, going to have to make sure that we allow airlines, airports, and border authorities to deal with those travellers that need additional help,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the DTC will allow for the efficient processing of the \u201cvast majority of travellers that represent no harm or risk to a government.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some aspects, like passport and security checks, will remain, Smith emphasised that automation and intelligence improve overall efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe operate in an industry that is the target of serious organised crime,\u201d he said. \u201cThe security has become much more intelligent and faster for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Smith believes that enabling travellers to share a secure, digital version of their identity, when and with whom they choose, is key to accelerating and improving immigration procedures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat will enable the immigration authorities to process your data earlier in the journey,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need security. We need immigration controls. This is a way of enabling that to happen much faster.\u201dHowever, he stressed that adopting a DTC would be entirely optional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis will very much be voluntary,\u201d he said, drawing a parallel with people who still prefer physical documents over smartphones due to concerns about digital overreach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite growing technological integration in travel, passengers will retain the choice to opt out,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ICAO also said that although the DTC will improve travel facilitation, travellers will still need physical passports for years to come to comply with regulations and as a backup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New airport laws aim to replace physical passports and boarding passes with a smartphone-based system at airports worldwide, including South Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":823479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9878],"tags":[2139,22482,853,22481],"class_list":["post-823446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-2139","tag-societe-internationale-de-telecommunications-aeronautiques-sita","tag-south-africa","tag-the-international-civil-aviation-organisation-icao"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=823446"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":823686,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823446\/revisions\/823686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/823479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=823446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=823446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=823446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}