Canada and the Netherlands are testing international flights without a passport, thanks to the blockchain technology

Travellers can use a mobile application encrypted by blockchain technology where all the data of their passport are stored

To cross the Atlantic without showing your passport? Travellers have been testing it since this week on flights connecting Canada and the Netherlands. The two countries on Wednesday launched a pilot project called KTDI for “Known Traveller Digital Identity” managed by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Specifically, travellers can download on their phone an application encrypted by blockchain technology where all the data of their passport are stored. The blockchain, which has gained popularity by its use in cryptocurrencies, is a registry that ensures the reliability of information without relying on a trusted third party.

Even before the traveller arrives at the airport, some of this information is passed on to the airlines and the border police. The consent of the person is asked before the communication of each information, the WEF said in a statement. At the beginning of their flight and upon arrival, the identity of the passengers is then confirmed by facial recognition or by their fingerprints.

The WEF has two objectives: to speed up the management of the passenger flow to prepare for the explosion of air traffic in the coming years and to reduce the risk of fraud. “By 2030, some 1.8 billion people will be flying overseas, up 50 percent from 2016,” said Christoph Wolf, Director of Mobility at the WEF. “Current systems do not allow airports to handle so many people. This project proposes a solution.”