A Single API for Seamless Journeys
The Contactless Travel Directory simplifies the adoption of Contactless Travel by making services easily discoverable and seamlessly interoperable. Airlines, airports, and border authorities can access a single API to identify available biometric services, determine passenger eligibility, and enable secure data sharing—eliminating the need for multiple integrations.
By connecting to the Directory, all necessary information management is handled by IATA, ensuring up-to-date, industry-standard data without the burden of ongoing maintenance. This enhances operational efficiency, reduces friction for travelers, and accelerates the scalability of Contactless Travel worldwide.
Streamlining Contactless Travel for Passengers and Industry
The Contactless Travel Directory API enhances Contactless Travel for both passengers and the industry by simplifying service discovery, ensuring interoperability, and enabling seamless integration.
- For Passengers: it provides visibility into available Contactless Travel services along their journey, informs them of required actions—such as sharing their boarding pass or passport details—and ensures a smooth experience at key touchpoints.
- For Airlines, Airports, and Border Authorities: the Directory centralizes service information, streamlines technical integration, and runs eligibility checks—reducing the need for multiple integrations through a single API.
By making Contactless Travel services discoverable, interoperable, and scalable, the Directory helps the industry implement and expand these solutions efficiently.
How it Works in a Passenger Journey
- Check-in Begins: The passenger starts check-in on their airline’s app.
- Directory Lookup: After check-in, the airline’s app queries the Contactless Travel Directory.
- Service Availability & Requirements: The Directory returns details on available Contactless Travel services along the passenger’s itinerary, eligibility, required actions (e.g. sharing a boarding pass, passport information), and technical integration details.
- Passenger Notification: The airline app informs the passenger: "To use Contactless Travel, you must share your boarding pass and passport detail."
- Consent & Data Sharing: The passenger provides consent, and the airline app facilitates secure data sharing across relevant systems.
- Seamless Travel: The passenger moves through contactless touchpoints effortlessly, without needing further action.
What you Get with the Contactless Travel Directory
- Discoverability: Identifies available Contactless Travel services along a passenger’s itinerary.
- Eligibility: Confirms whether a passenger meets the requirements to use Contactless Travel services.
- Interoperability: Defines the necessary data elements to use the Contactless Travel services on the itinerary and the protocols for secure data exchange.
- Scalability: Enables seamless expansion by making existing solutions interoperable and widely accessible.
- One To Many: Enables passengers to reuse their Identity Credentials across different services
Industry Managed
IATA maintains the latest eligibility rules and partner information, reducing the burden on airlines to track and update requirements.
Industry Ecosystem
A secure, verified ecosystem with authentication layers and a central data-sharing agreement, ensuring compliance and interoperability.
Resource Optimization
Reduces the need for custom integrations, helping airlines allocate resources more efficiently and scale their Contactless Travel solutions faster
Get Started Today
Discover how the Contactless Travel Directory can make Contactless Travel services discoverable, interoperable, and scalable. Contact our team to learn more about integration and implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Directory store or process personally identifiable information (PII)?
No, the Directory does not store or process any PII. It only receives itinerary details and limited non-personal passenger information, such as document type and nationality.
Is the Directory an application?
No, the Directory is an API designed to integrate into airline and airport systems. The information returned from the API is incorporated into their existing applications.
Does the Directory interact with passengers directly?
No, the Directory provides data to airlines and airports, who can then display this information to passengers through their own platforms.
Do you provide implementation support?
We offer full technical support to ensure a smooth and efficient integration process, from onboarding to deployment.