Three years ago, Branchspace joined a group of industry partners in attempting something that had not been done before. This week in Singapore, the results of that work and the work that followed were made public. The conclusion, confirmed at the IATA World Data Symposium, was straightforward: contactless, biometric-enabled international travel is no longer a concept. It is working today.
This is the story of how we got there.
2023: The first integrated journey
In October 2023, Branchspace supported IATA in demonstrating the world's first fully integrated digital identity travel experience, from searching for a flight through to arrival. The route was London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino with British Airways. The goal was to show that digital identity could connect not just one step of the airport journey, but the whole thing, including the retailing layer that sits before a passenger ever reaches a terminal.
We contributed to the development of the end-to-end experience, helping passengers move through the journey using a single digital credential rather than repeated document checks. loyalty card details stored securely in digital wallets, was used to curate personalized offers for travellers.
Order generation eliminated the need for traditional tickets. The check-in process was simplified. Biometric gates handled the airport touchpoints. IATA's Nick Careen described it as "a significant stride towards simpler and smoother travel experiences." We agreed. Read more about that first proof of concept.
2024: A live environment, two passengers, different wallets
A year later, the scope expanded. Working with Cathay Pacific on a live round-trip between Hong Kong and Tokyo, Branchspace supported the integration of verifiable credentials into the full passenger journey. Two passengers used different digital wallets to store their ePassport, visa and frequent flyer details, navigating departure, transfer and arrival entirely without physical document checks. Biometric verification replaced the queue at every touchpoint.
Our team adapted the mobile experience to reflect Cathay Pacific's customer journey, integrating it with verifiable credentials and driving interactions with airline, airport and other commercial systems. What made this significant was not just that it worked, but that it worked across different wallet providers and different systems. Andrew Webster, our Director of Offer and Order Management Consulting, noted at the time: "This PoC proved the industry is ready to deliver a fully digital air travel experience." Read the full account here.
Late 2025: Geneva and the work behind the work
Late last year, Tomasz Wiśniewski, our Senior Mobile App Developer, travelled to the IATA Conference Centre in Geneva for three days of workshops with airlines and technology providers. The conversations focused on how digital credentials could support more seamless journeys, with a particular emphasis on interoperability. How do you make sure that systems built by different vendors, airlines and governments reliably communicate with each other? How do you align standards so that a credential issued in one country works at an airport in another?
The specifics of that work were kept confidential ahead of WDS, as is standard for IATA's programme. But the direction was clear. The architecture was maturing. The ecosystem was aligning. What we shared from Geneva is available here.
2026 Singapore: what WDS confirmed
At the IATA World Data Symposium in Singapore this week, the findings came into public view. Three proof of concepts. Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand and IndiGo. Airports across Europe, Asia-Pacific and India. Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Digi Yatra, airline-managed wallets. Multiple systems, multiple providers, multiple borders, and one consistent result: the interoperability that the industry has been building toward is sufficiently advanced to support real passenger journeys today.
Branchspace was named among the technology providers who made this possible. On Day 2, the "Contactless Travel at Scale" session brought together representatives from Hong Kong International Airport, Japan Airlines, Digi Yatra, SITA and others to discuss what comes next. It was a conversation the industry would not have been ready to have three years ago.
IATA's Director General Willie Walsh was direct in the accompanying press release: the technology is proven, and the next step is on governments. Accelerating the issuance and acceptance of Digital Travel Credentials will allow the infrastructure built through these proofs of concept to scale globally.
What this means for airlines
For airlines thinking seriously about the passenger experience, the WDS results offer a clear signal. A passenger can now share identity data ahead of travel, enrol biometrically, and move through departure, transfer and arrival without presenting a passport or boarding pass. The credential works across systems. The standards are converging. The delay is no longer technical.
At Branchspace, we build mobile-first journeys that reduce friction and connect the commercial and operational layers of travel. Digital identity strengthens that picture because it allows the passenger experience to become genuinely continuous, from the first search to the final gate. The work done through the IATA PoC programme has validated that direction, and we are looking forward to what the next phase of this journey brings.
The industry has proven it is ready. We are glad to have been part of that proof.
