Authsignal brings identity orchestration to IATA as airlines modernize authentication

Authsignal has joined the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Strategic Partnership Program.

The announcement follows IATA’s World Data Symposium in Singapore, where digital identity featured prominently as airlines and regulators explore how passengers will authenticate themselves from booking through to border control.

IATA represents more than 360 airlines worldwide and the partnership demonstrates that Authsignal’s identity orchestration technology aligns with the governance and compliance standards required in aviation.

“Travel and aviation are full of solutions looking for problems to solve, but digital identity is fundamental to a myriad of real use cases across the industry, from booking to boarding to immigration,” said Justin Soong, founder and director of product at Authsignal.

IATA’s One ID initiative imagines travelers moving through airports using verified digital credentials stored on their phones, removing the need for physical documents. It’s an experience that depends on reliable, interoperable identity infrastructure, and Authsignal says its platform is designed to provide exactly that.

Acting as an orchestration layer above existing airline systems, it allows carriers to add passkeys, adaptive MFA, biometric step‑up, and risk‑based authentication without replacing legacy technology.

Non‑technical teams can adjust authentication policies through a no‑code rules engine, enabling faster security and customer experience updates. The company has already supported the first airline deployment of passkeys and is expanding into verification of digital credentials stored in mobile wallets.

“Joining the IATA Strategic Partnership Program is a natural step for Authsignal as we focus on how open standards can create seamless, secure experiences for travelers worldwide,” Soong added.

As AI agents begin booking travel and interacting with airline systems on behalf of passengers, Authsignal argues that robust identity verification will become foundational to travel distribution. The company says airlines that modernize authentication now will be better prepared for this shift.

“IATA’s Strategic Partnerships Program enables its members to unlock opportunities to connect and collaborate with key aviation industry stakeholders,” said Kim Macaulay, SVP, Information and Data and Chief Information and Data Officer, IATA.

“Welcoming Authsignal as an SPP member in the Data and Technology Proof of Concept SP area confirms the value-add the program provides and the impact it has on the aviation industry.”

Details of IATA’s contactless biometric travel trials emerge

IATA believes fully contactless, biometric-enabled international travel is already achievable if governments start to issue and accept digital passports at scale. The organization concluded this following a series of digital identity trials aligned with its One ID concept and conducted across Europe and Asia Pacific.

IndiGo demonstrated interoperability between national digital ID systems and international wallet credentials in India at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, collaborating with IATA and the Digi Yatra Foundation.

The company built the test of end-to-end digital travel flow on a Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) framework, allowing for facial scanning for passengers to verify identity while retaining control over personal data. The initiative also tested app-to-app integration for sharing boarding details.

“Built on Digi Yatra’s privacy-first, consent-led framework, this approach ensures minimal, purpose-bound data usage,” Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, told the Deccan Herald.

Japan Airlines put biometric processing through its paces across a multi‑airport, multi‑airline itinerary from Tokyo to Hong Kong and onward to Europe.

Air New Zealand trialed an airline‑managed digital wallet enabling remote enrollment and contactless processing at customs. The trial also integrated with the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD), making it easier to complete the online form. “Our ambition is to make travel easier from start to finish,” said Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy O’Brien.

Participants on the Auckland to Hong Kong pilot in March were able to share a verified digital ID during online check-in, which then powered biometric checks throughout the return flight. The trial linked multiple systems including the New Zealand Traveler Declaration, the IATA Travel Directory, Hong Kong Airport’s Flight Token framework and Air New Zealand’s check‑in process.