International travel is a mind-expanding privilege, but it is also immensely painful, mainly because of how dependent we are on paperwork. Have the wrong piece of paper, or the wrong credentials on a piece of paper, and a routine process can become a nightmare.
When paper tickets gave way to e-tickets more than a decade ago, it was easy to imagine that all travel would eventually become digital. Printed boarding passes were next to go, further convincing us that the future was nigh. In the last two years, biometric boarding began rolling out at airports across the United States, and arriving in Dubai invariably required one only to scan an airport and have your face recognised by a camera.
No need to take out a passport
Recently, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport launched a Smart Travel Project, which will see biometric sensors used from check-in to passport control and boarding. In other words, one would probably not even need to take a passport from one’s travel purse.
The only puzzle is why it has taken so long. The moment fingerprint and facial recognition became feasible, a paperless future beckoned. The fact that the most advanced airport in the world – Zayed is being upgraded at a cost $2.3-billion – will take until 2025 to become future-ready, tells us just how far off the possibility is for basic airports.
If you thought the digital divide affected only individuals who cannot afford access, consider South African airports. The free Wi-Fi on offer is often non-functional, even escalators are regularly out of order, and we are beholden to foreign service providers and dodgy tender procedures.
South Africa’s self -made obstacles
Last month, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) terminated the contract for an Automated Border Control system, including an “e-gate” solution, awarded to French company IDEMIA. The termination was announced a few weeks after ACSA had suspended its IT head for irregularities in awarding the contract. The suspension came only after online tech news site ITWeb raised questions about the sidelining of IDEMIA’s empowerment partner, InfoVerge.
While those aren’t issues of travel technology as such, they highlight the entirely self-made obstacles South Africa faces in joining the future.
ACSA insisted:
The biometric and digital identity technology project remains key to ACSA’s short-to-medium term strategy to ensure a seamless and efficient customer experience connecting passengers to their next destinations, opportunities, and goals.
Then it will still need to address concerns about privacy of biometric data and digital identities, protection of data protection and fears of surveillance.
Meanwhile, the paperless travel possibilities are being demonstrated daily in supposed emerging markets. Both India and Turkiye offer South Africans e-visas, although the process of entering the former remains entrenched in paper-based bureaucracy. Turkiye, on the other hand, has gone a step in the opposite direction of tourist-friendliness.
In conclusion
Travellers connecting through Istanbul airport with a long layover are offered anything from free city tours to free hotel stays, depending on the length of the layover. While Dubai airport offers a free hotel stay to business class passengers, Istanbul offers it to all. Class of travel only affects the class of hotel in which they put one up.
Now this may not be about paperless travel, but it encapsulates the motivation for it. 
In a recent statement, Turkish Airlines emphasised its wish for travellers to “make the most of their layovers”, ensuring that it “becomes a memorable part of your journey”. That’s the same thinking behind the upgrade of Zayed airport, where chief information officer Andrew Murphy said that the intention of a biometric airport was “to make this passenger experience seamless”.
The words attributed to science fiction writer William Gibson, that future is already here but it’s just not evenly distributed, is a perfect description of the future of travel.
Arthur Goldstuck | CEO | World Wide Worx | @art2gee | mail me |
Related FAQs: Paperless future of travel
Q: What is the concept of a paperless future of travel?
A: The paperless future of travel refers to the initiative to eliminate physical documents such as passports and boarding passes by utilising digital identities and mobile technology, making the travelling experience smoother and more efficient.
Q: How is IATA contributing to a paperless future of travel?
A: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is leading initiatives aimed at transforming the aviation sector towards a paperless environment, focusing on digital identity solutions, contactless travel and enhancing the end-to-end passenger experience.
Q: What are some benefits of going paperless for travellers?
A: Going paperless can streamline the travel process, reduce wait times at airports, enhance sustainability by minimising paper waste and provide a more secure way to manage personal information through digital tokens and mobile applications.
Q: Will travellers still need a passport if we move towards a paperless future?
A: In the near future, certain initiatives may allow for travellers to utilise digital identities instead of traditional passports, particularly for domestic travel or within regions like the EU. However, international travel will likely still require some form of identification until broader acceptance is established.
Q: What role will digital identity play in the future of travel?
A: Digital identity will serve as a secure and convenient means of verifying a traveller’s identity without the need for physical documents. It is central to initiatives aimed at creating a seamless and efficient travel experience, allowing for faster processing at checkpoints.
Q: How can travellers prepare for the transition to a paperless travel experience?
A: Travellers can prepare by familiarising themselves with digital identity initiatives, ensuring they have the necessary mobile applications installed and understanding the privacy policies associated with sharing personal data in a digital format.
Q: What challenges might arise in the transition to a paperless future of travel?
A: Challenges may include concerns over privacy and security of personal data, the need for robust infrastructure to support digital systems and the potential for technological barriers among travellers who may not be comfortable with digital tools.
Q: How does the concept of a paperless future align with sustainability efforts in travel?
A: The move towards a paperless travel experience aligns with sustainability efforts by reducing paper consumption and waste, contributing to a more eco-friendly approach to aviation and supporting global initiatives focused on minimising the environmental impact of air travel.
Q: What is the timeline for implementing a paperless future in air travel?
A: While various initiatives are already underway, full implementation may vary by region and airline. Many stakeholders expect significant progress towards a paperless travel experience by 2024, as the industry embraces digital transformation.
