France has started allowing passengers to board domestic flights without carrying a physical identity document, after the civil aviation authority approved the use of the France Identity app for air travel. The digital ID, which links to the state database, lets travellers prove who they are on their mobile phones.
The move brings air travel into line with other parts of the French transport system, where the app was already accepted on trains and by security forces. It applies only to flights within France, and the system is not recognised by other European countries.
By late June, almost 4 million French people had downloaded the app and were using a virtual version of their identity document, according to the source article. The change does not affect travel outside the Schengen area, where a passport is generally required.
The French Civil Aviation Directorate began accepting the app for flights on 24 June. The rule means passengers who choose to use France Identity no longer need to show a physical national identity card before boarding on eligible domestic routes.
France Identity works by digitalising the identity document and checking it against the government database. That allows passengers to present proof of identity on their phones, rather than carrying the card itself.
The development is notable because Spain does not yet have an equivalent system for flying, although it does have an online driving licence that is valid in certain circumstances. The article said France is now ahead of its neighbour in allowing a mobile identity document to be used for air travel.
For now, the benefit is limited. The app can be used for domestic flights only, and travellers flying to another European country still need to follow that country’s rules. Outside Schengen, airlines and border authorities generally require a passport.
The move reflects a wider shift towards digital identification in travel and transport. France Identity had already been introduced in other public settings before aviation authorities agreed to accept it for flights.
Almost 4 million users suggest the app is already widely adopted, which may help explain why the authorities were prepared to expand its use. For French passengers, the change could make short-haul flying slightly faster and more convenient, especially for those who prefer to rely on a phone rather than carry a wallet document.
But the policy also has clear limits. Since no other European country accepts the app, its usefulness ends at France’s borders, and the traditional identity card and passport remain essential for most international trips.
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