A new coalition of major aviation and travel technology organisations is pushing European Union policymakers to establish rules that allow passengers to use biometric technology voluntarily while preserving privacy safeguards and non-biometric alternatives.
The Responsible Biometrics Travel Industry Coalition, comprising the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), Amadeus, IDEMIA Public Security and SITA, said the proposed EU Digital Omnibus should support secure biometric travel without creating restrictions for passengers who opt out.
The coalition, announced on October 1, is seeking technology-neutral provisions that would allow airlines, airports and other travel operators to deploy biometric verification where appropriate safeguards are in place.
Its intervention comes as airports and airlines seek to process growing passenger volumes more efficiently while policymakers grapple with the regulatory implications of the expanding use of biometric data.
The coalition said biometric verification could reduce repeated manual checks of passports and boarding documents, helping to accelerate passenger processing and improve the use of existing airport infrastructure.
For airports facing congestion during peak travel periods, the industry groups argue that biometric identification could increase passenger throughput without requiring equivalent expansion of terminal facilities.
However, the coalition is seeking to ensure that efficiency gains do not come at the expense of passenger choice.
Under its proposed framework, travellers should be able to decide whether to provide biometric information, retain access to non-biometric alternatives and request deletion of their biometric data.
The group also wants biometric credentials to be secure and restricted to a defined journey rather than creating broader or indefinite repositories of passenger information.
The coalition’s push comes against evidence of growing passenger acceptance of biometric identification.
The IATA Global Passenger Survey found that 74 percent of surveyed travellers were willing to use biometric data instead of repeatedly presenting a passport or boarding pass during their journey.
The finding points to a potentially significant shift in passenger processing as airports and airlines move towards more digital forms of identity verification.
The groups are particularly focused on the proposed Digital Omnibus, which is intended to simplify aspects of Europe’s digital regulatory framework, support innovation and strengthen competitiveness.
The coalition said poorly designed provisions could unintentionally constrain the voluntary deployment of biometric systems in travel.
It is therefore calling for legal clarity that recognises biometric technology as one tool available to the industry rather than creating rules that effectively limit its use even where passengers consent and appropriate safeguards exist.
The coalition’s proposed approach would also require greater cooperation between travel companies and public authorities as biometric systems become more integrated into international journeys.
It has published an Advancing Responsible Biometrics in Europe manifesto setting out its recommendations, including clearer rules governing biometric data and stronger coordination between industry and governments..
ACI EUROPE represents more than 600 airports across 55 countries, giving the coalition substantial representation among European airport operators. IATA, meanwhile, represents more than 370 airlines accounting for approximately 85 percent of global air traffic.
With biometric technology increasingly being positioned as an infrastructure for passenger processing rather than simply an identity-verification tool, the EU’s regulatory approach could influence how airports and airlines deploy the technology across Europe and potentially shape standards adopted in other markets.
The coalition’s central proposal is therefore to combine greater use of biometric technology with explicit passenger control over participation and personal data, allowing digital travel systems to expand without eliminating conventional alternatives.
