HKIA the First Airport to Achieve IATA One ID Certification

Recognition affirms HKIA's commitment to delivering a seamless and contactless passenger journey through innovative technologies

(Hong Kong, 28 October 2026, 1730hrs) - Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has become the first airport in the world to achieve One ID Certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recoginisng HKIA's pioneering use of digital identity and biometric technologies.

HKIA achieved the full set of certification areas applicable to airports under IATA One ID, namely Contactless Travel, Biometric Handling, and Privacy, Consent and Governance.

IATA One ID is a set of global industry standards for the use of digital identity and biometrics across the passenger journey. The standards support a travel journey where passengers can confirm their identity and travel documents before arriving at the airport and subsequently proceed through all key airport checkpoints using biometric recognition, instead of repeatedly presenting their passport and boarding pass.

Flight Token, HKIA's self-service biometric identification system, has transformed the departure journey by enabling passengers to travel through key airport checkpoints using facial recognition. Today, more than 80% of departing passengers at HKIA are eligible to use Flight Token across all checkpoints of the departure journey.

Vivian Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), said, "We are honoured that HKIA is the world's first airport to achieve IATA One ID Certification. This certification affirms our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience through innovation and demonstrates that HKIA's digital identity and biometric processes meet IATA's global standards. Since its launch in 2021, more than 93 million passengers have used Flight Token to date. We will continue to advance our smart airport journey to make travelling through HKIA ever more convenient and seamless, while reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a leading international aviation hub."

Nick Careen, IATA's Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security said, "Digital identity can make travel much simpler for passengers, but only if everyone involved in the journey trusts how others verify identity, handle biometric data and protect privacy. One ID Certification gives them that assurance. Hong Kong International Airport is among the industry's leaders in using One ID enabled digital identity to improve the passenger experience. As the first organisation to be certified, it has set the benchmark for others to follow."