Amadeus Backs ICAO Strategy to Expand Digital Identity and Aviation Capacity Worldwide

(NEWS) MADRID, 2026-Jan-8 — /Travel PR News/ — Amadeus and the International Civil Aviation Organization have formalised a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating digital transformation across global aviation systems, with a particular focus on ensuring that all countries can participate in and benefit from modern air transport. The collaboration supports ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative, a long-standing effort to promote inclusive, safe and sustainable aviation worldwide.

The Memorandum of Understanding aligns with ICAO’s broader vision of inclusive aviation development, as outlined in its Strategic Plan for 2026–2050, where No Country Left Behind is established as a formal strategic goal. According to details shared in ICAO’s official communications, the initiative reflects a commitment to sustainability, digital innovation and economic resilience, while ensuring that these advances remain accessible to all member states, regardless of their level of development.

Under the agreement, Amadeus will contribute technical expertise and knowledge-sharing in areas increasingly central to the future of air travel, including digital identity, biometrics and data management. These efforts are designed to support ICAO frameworks such as TRIP and the implementation of standards set out in ICAO Doc 9303, which governs machine-readable travel documents and interoperable identity systems.

A central pillar of the partnership is capacity building. This includes technical assistance to help states implement ICAO standards and recommended practices, targeted training programmes covering both regulatory and technological aspects of digital identity, and initiatives to promote biometric interoperability between countries. As outlined in the organisations’ joint announcement, these activities are intended to help states overcome resource constraints related to infrastructure, financing, training and coordination, challenges that can slow aviation modernisation, particularly in developing regions.

ICAO launched the No Country Left Behind initiative in 2014 to support all member states in effectively implementing global aviation standards. Over the past decade, the programme has focused on strengthening regulatory oversight, improving safety and security, and enhancing both physical and institutional aviation infrastructure. The collaboration with Amadeus builds on this foundation, extending ICAO’s implementation support through private-sector expertise in digital innovation.

From a traveller perspective, the partnership reflects a broader industry shift toward seamless, technology-enabled journeys that rely on secure digital identity systems and harmonised international standards. Both organisations have indicated that they are now defining a roadmap for the collaboration, with initial deliverables expected in the first half of 2026, as ICAO continues to position inclusive digital transformation as a cornerstone of global aviation’s future.