The Importance of Identity Documents and the Future of Integrated Travel Systems – Conclusion and Outlook
June 18, 2024
In this article, we explore how identity verification is evolving to meet the needs of modern travel within the European Union.Published: June 4, 2025
In this article, you will learn how mobile apps are revolutionizing the way Advanced Passenger Information (API) data is collected. Discover how this innovative approach enhances convenience for travelers, reduces airport congestion, and enables a smoother, more secure pre-boarding process.
Convenience at Your Fingertips: Skip the Queues and Save Time
Mobile apps empower travelers to take care of necessary travel formalities well before setting foot in the airport. By allowing passengers to submit Advanced Passenger Information (API) data remotely, these apps eliminate common pain points such as long queues and rushed check-ins.
Home-Based Data Submission With Mobile Apps
Passengers can fill out and submit their Advanced Passenger Information from anywhere – no need to be physically present at a check-in desk. Whether at home, in a hotel, or even en route to the airport, travelers can take control of their check-in process. This flexibility is especially valuable for business travelers, and frequent flyers who prioritize efficiency. By moving this step out of the airport, airlines also reduce their frontline workload and create a smoother passenger experience. The result is a digital-first approach that’s aligned with modern expectations of self-service and on-the-go accessibility. Ultimately, home-based submission sets the foundation for a faster and more enjoyable travel experience.
Time-Saving Benefits for Travelers
By shifting API data collection to mobile apps, travelers avoid long wait times, arrive later at the airport, and enjoy a more streamlined journey. The ability to submit required information in advance translates to shorter processing times at check-in and security. This not only improves the traveler’s experience but also allows airports and airlines to allocate staff more efficiently. For time-sensitive passengers, particularly those on tight schedules or with connecting flights, every minute saved can make a significant difference. Moreover, fewer delays at document check counters help reduce bottlenecks throughout the terminal. Overall, the time saved enhances the end-to-end travel process for all parties involved.
Reduced Stress and Airport Congestion
Fewer people lining up for manual document checks leads to a smoother airport flow and a better experience for everyone. When a large portion of API data is collected in advance, airports benefit from less congestion at peak hours. This contributes to a calmer atmosphere, improved crowd management, and fewer points of failure in the travel chain. For passengers, the journey becomes more relaxed, with fewer unexpected delays or last-minute document issues. For airline staff, it means reduced pressure and more time to assist travelers who truly need help. In essence, API data collection via mobile apps brings calm and order to what is often a hectic pre-boarding environment.
Seamless Passport Verification with NFC Technology
Mobile apps that are equipped to scan the MRZ and to read data from Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled identity documents and passports bring a new level of simplicity and security to passport verification. By leveraging the chip embedded in modern e-passports, travelers can complete identity checks quickly and securely from their mobile devices.
How NFC Works With Identity Documents and E-Passports
NFC enables mobile phones to securely read the chip embedded in modern passports, offering a digital handshake between traveler and airline. This chip contains biometric and personal data protected by cryptographic signatures, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the information. When read via a mobile app, the data is transmitted securely and instantly, allowing the airline to validate the passport without any need for manual inspection. This not only speeds up the verification process but also reduces the potential for human error or document forgery. The result is a highly reliable and scalable solution for remote identity confirmation that meets international security standards.
Read more in our White Paper “The Importance of Passports for Secure Identity Establishment“.
User-Friendly and Contactless
The NFC scanning process is as simple as placing a passport on the back of a smartphone – no extra hardware or manual entry required. This makes the experience intuitive, accessible, and suitable even for less tech-savvy travelers. The simplicity of the interface combined with the reliability of NFC technology ensures a seamless user experience. In short, NFC turns what was once a complex airport-based procedure into a smooth, tap-and-go action completed at home.
Faster, Smarter Check-In Processes
Mobile apps with NFC reduce friction in the check-in process and can automatically verify document authenticity in seconds. Instead of waiting in line for a manual document check, travelers can submit their verified identity data in advance, giving airlines more time to focus on service and logistics. This leads to shorter processing times at the airport and minimizes delays caused by document discrepancies or slow verification procedures. For airlines, the automation of passport verification helps optimize staffing and operational efficiency. And for passengers, it means faster check-in, reduced stress, and more time to enjoy the journey.
Enhanced Security Through Electronic Identity Documents
Electronic passports (e-passports) are equipped with advanced security features that far exceed traditional visual document checks. When combined with mobile apps and NFC technology, they create a highly secure, fraud-resistant method of verifying a traveler’s identity remotely.
Built-In Digital Signatures
The digital signature on the passport chip ensures that the data hasn’t been tampered with, making it more trustworthy than a manual visual check. These signatures are cryptographically generated by the issuing authority and act as proof that the document is authentic. When read by a mobile app, the system can verify the integrity of the data in real-time, confirming that it has not been altered or forged and that the identity document or passport has been issued by the appropriate government authority. This provides a strong foundation for secure identity verification without relying on staff to visually inspect physical details. As a result, both airlines and passengers can trust that the data submitted is valid and protected against manipulation.
Tamper-Resistant Identity Verification
Chipped passports are extremely difficult to clone or alter: Checksums, hashes, and signatures are fundamental to the chip’s security framework. These mechanisms validate the integrity and authenticity of data, effectively preventing tampering and ensuring that the information remains unchanged from its original state.
The chip stores biometric and personal data in a digitally signed format, which cannot be modified without breaking its cryptographic protection. This makes it nearly impossible for unauthorized individuals to forge or tamper with the identity document without detection. When a traveler uses a mobile app to submit their passport data, the airline receives a level of security and assurance that is far superior to paper-based methods. This significantly reduces the risk of fraud and supports a higher standard of trust in international air travel. Try our free Demo App and learn how easy it is to test our secure identity document verification solution.
More Secure Than Optical Inspections
More Secure Than Optical Inspections
Optical checks rely on visible features like MRZ or photographs (performed by an authorized person), which are easier to forge or misread compared to chip-based authentication. In contrast, the data stored in the chip is machine-readable, digitally signed, and encrypted, providing much stronger resistance to manipulation. Reading this chip through a mobile app ensures that the information comes directly from the source, rather than relying on potentially compromised visual elements. This reduces the margin of error in identity checks and eliminates the guesswork from manual inspections. In short, chip-based authentication offers a dramatically more secure and consistent verification process than traditional methods.
Enabling Future Biometric Travel Processes
Mobile apps aren’t just improving current travel experiences – they’re paving the way for the future of identity verification in aviation. By collecting high-integrity data, including biometric photos, these apps set the stage for fully digital, touchless journeys through the airport.
Access to Authenticated Traveler Photos
Mobile apps can extract a digitally signed photo from the passport chip, ensuring a trusted image for downstream biometric systems. This image, stored and verified through cryptographic means, provides a reliable baseline for facial recognition systems. Unlike user-uploaded selfies or webcam photos, passport chip images are government-issued and more trustworthy. When submitted through a secure app, they allow airlines to match passengers to their identity with a high degree of accuracy. This verified photo can be reused across touchpoints, helping unify traveler identity across different airport systems.
Preparing for Facial Recognition at Airports
Airlines that collect verified photos early can integrate more easily with biometric boarding, security, and immigration gates. By linking a traveler’s digital profile with their physical appearance before they arrive at the airport, systems can recognize and process them instantly. This not only speeds up passenger flow but also improves security and reduces the need for repeated document checks. Biometric systems built on authenticated passport photos are more robust and harder to deceive. As more airports adopt these technologies, early data collection via mobile apps will become a competitive advantage for airlines.
Creating a Seamless, Touchless Travel Experience
With pre-verified identity data and facial recognition in place, future travelers could walk through the airport without showing a single document. From check-in to boarding, each step would be completed by simply facing a camera – no need to present a passport, ticket, or phone. This level of automation reduces friction, enhances hygiene, and significantly improves the overall passenger experience. It also frees up airport staff to focus on customer service rather than manual identity checks.
Mobile apps are the gateway to this future, enabling a truly seamless, secure, and personalized journey.
Why Mobile Apps are the Customer-Friendliest and Most Secure Option – Conclusion and Outlook
As the aviation industry continues to modernize, mobile apps have clearly emerged as the most customer-friendly and secure method for collecting Advanced Passenger Information (API). They empower travelers to manage essential pre-travel steps conveniently from home, reduce stress at the airport, and streamline identity verification through secure technologies like NFC and digital passport chips. At the same time, airlines benefit from higher-quality data, reduced operational bottlenecks, and improved fraud prevention – all without compromising the passenger experience.
Looking ahead, mobile apps-based API data collection is more than just a convenience feature; it’s a foundational step toward the future of air travel. As biometric systems and contactless processes become standard at airports worldwide, the verified identity data collected through mobile apps will be critical in enabling seamless, touchless journeys.
By investing in mobile-first solutions today, airlines and airports can position themselves at the forefront of a smarter, safer, and more personalized travel ecosystem.
Take the Next Step – With OVD Kinegram’s Digital Solutions
To fully unlock the benefits of mobile API data collection, you need a partner that combines trusted technology with decades of expertise in secure identity solutions.
OVD Kinegram stands at the forefront of secure identity document verification, offering industry leading all-in-one scanning and chip verification solutions tailored for government-grade passport authentication. Our solutions are already trusted by authorities and institutions worldwide – and now, they’re available to power seamless, secure passenger experiences from the first tap on a mobile device to the final boarding gate.
Proven expertise in NFC and chip-based identity verification
Secure, high-assurance passport data processing with cryptographic validation
Integration-ready technology for biometric check-in and digital travel credentials
Ready to bring your digital passenger experience to the next level?
Get in contact now and learn how OVD Kinegram can help you implement the most secure, scalable, and future-ready mobile API solution.
Learn more on Why Mobile Apps are the Customer-Friendliest and Most Secure Option
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