The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Star Alliance are enhancing their long-standing relationship in the field of travel compliance solutions, with the Alliance adopting a next-gen travel documentation and verification system that supports contactless travel for its 26 member airlines.

Timatic AutoCheck offers a streamlined and interactive experience enabling travellers, airlines and travel professionals to easily access accurate and clearly worded immigration information. The entire document checking process has been automated with tailored instructions for each passenger.

With passenger traffic set to double by 2040, optimizing and enhancing airport processes will need to continue, says IATA, and verifying passengers’ travel documentation is one of the more time-consuming tasks that will benefit from further automation. To that end, Timatic AutoCheck will play an essential role in supporting the transition towards contactless travel and Star Alliance expects to have the travel documents of over 340 million travellers checked via Timatic AutoCheck on an annual basis.

“Star Alliance is dedicated to enhancing the customer experience. We are delighted to partner with IATA for the Timatic AutoCheck platform, which we believe will not only boost operational efficiency for our member airlines but also significantly improve the customers’ airport experience. As travellers increasingly prioritize seamless journeys with minimum hassle, our adoption of the Timatic platform is a significant step in the right direction”, said Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO, Star Alliance.

“Timatic AutoCheck represents a further milestone in the pursuit of efficiency and convenience within the travel industry. By effortlessly navigating travel regulations, passengers can embark on their journeys with confidence and peace of mind. We are delighted that Star Alliance has chosen to continue our long-standing partnership and keep entrusting IATA Timatic as the source and tool for document compliance check,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

IATA’s most recent Global Passenger Survey (GPS) revealed that complex visa requirements deter travellers who want a convenient, digital online visa process. Moreover, many are willing to share their travel document information for faster airport immigration procedures.

• 36% of travellers said they have been discouraged from travelling to a particular destination because of the immigration requirements. Process complexity was highlighted as the main deterrent by 49% of travellers, 19% cited costs and 8% privacy concerns.
• Where visas are required, 66% of travelers want to obtain a visa online prior to travel, 20% prefer to go to the consulate or embassy and 14% at the airport.
• 87% of travellers indicated they would share their immigration information to speed up the airport arrival process, representing an increase from the 83% reported in 2022.

“Taking advantage of travellers’ willingness to use online processes and share information in advance, Timatic AutoCheck enables airlines, ground handlers, departure control systems and travel agents a customer-friendly online solution, through which travellers can check that they comply with all immigration requirements before setting off to the airport,” said Walsh.