Airside
Airside is a privacy-first digital identity platform enabling consumers to verify and share passports and driver's licenses via a mobile app, serving airlines, governments, and identity-relying parties through decentralized, consent-driven identity verification. Founded in 2009 and now a subsidiary of Entrust.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersHerndon, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Airside does
Airside (legal entity: Airside Mobile, Inc.) is a privacy-first digital identity company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, with an additional operating presence in Shakopee, Minnesota (under parent Entrust). The company builds a decentralized digital identity platform that enables consumers to verify government-issued identity documents — primarily passports and driver's licenses — once via a mobile application and then share those verified credentials with airlines, governments, and other relying parties through consent-driven, time-bound data exchanges. Its core technology stack combines NFC e-Passport chip reading, biometric selfie matching, end-to-end encryption, and a standards-based consent framework; identity data is stored encrypted on the user's device rather than in a central database, which eliminates ongoing data-storage liability for Airside and its relying parties.
The product portfolio comprises the consumer-facing Airside Digital Identity App, the business-facing AirsideX platform for relying-party identity management, and flagship deployments including the Curaçao Express Pass (world's first mobile-based pre-processing border crossing system, launched July 2024 in partnership with the Government of Curaçao and Vision-Box), American Airlines Mobile ID for AAdvantage members with TSA PreCheck, and a historical Mobile Passport Control program with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (2014–2022) that served approximately 10 million travelers. Discontinued products include Mobile Passport (ended February 2022) and Alaska Airlines Mobile Verify (ended February 26, 2025).
The business model is B2B2C: the consumer app is free, with revenue generated from enterprise/government contracts (subscription and transaction-based fees, including Curaçao Express Pass) and referral partnerships (e.g., RushMyPassport). The company has raised approximately $21 million in disclosed funding from investors including Bain Capital Ventures, 8VC, Grotech Ventures, Amadeus, and Thomson Reuters. Airside was acquired by Onfido in May 2023 and subsequently became part of Entrust following Entrust's completion of its acquisition of Onfido in April 2024; the company now operates as a subsidiary within the Entrust identity-centric security portfolio.
Airside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Airside
- Legal name
- Airside Mobile, Inc.
- Website
- https://airsidemobile.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Airside is a privacy-first digital identity platform enabling consumers to verify and share passports and driver's licenses via a mobile app, serving airlines, governments, and identity-relying parties through decentralized, consent-driven identity verification. Founded in 2009 and now a subsidiary of Entrust.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Airside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Identity Verification
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Identity, Biometrics & eGate Enablement (THALAPAE)
Keywords
Where Airside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Herndon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Airside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer App (Free): Free Airside Digital Identity App for individual consumers provides digital identity verification, storage, and sharing capabilities at no cost. Revenue is not generated directly from consumers but serves as a platform for B2B partnerships.
- Enterprise/Business Solutions: B2B digital identity solutions for airlines, governments, and enterprises requiring identity verification and management. Businesses access shared customer identity information through Airside's network with compliance and fraud protection benefits.
- Government Partnership (Curaçao Express Pass): Partnership with government of Curaçao to provide pre-flight biometric digital ID verification for contactless border crossing. Revenue likely generated through government contracts or per-transaction fees.
- Passport/Visa Services (RushMyPassport): Partnership with RushMyPassport for passport renewal and visa services. Users are redirected from Airside app to RushMyPassport for expedited passport processing, generating referral/affiliate revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free consumer app with basic digital identity features |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise business solutions for organizations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Airside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Airside builds a privacy-first digital identity platform consisting of the free Airside Digital Identity App — a consumer mobile wallet that lets individuals store and share verified government IDs (passports, driver's licenses, REAL IDs) via NFC and biometrics — and AirsideX, an enterprise platform enabling organizations to verify customer identities, issue verifiable credentials, and conduct remote onboarding. The products are sold to airlines, government agencies, and enterprises in travel, financial services, healthcare, and real estate, and are monetized through enterprise contracts and partner integrations.
Product overview
Airside offers a privacy-first digital identity platform comprising the Airside Digital Identity App as the primary consumer mobile application and the AirsideX platform for business customers. The portfolio includes Curaçao Express Pass for expedited border crossing and integrates with RushMyPassport for passport/visa services. The company previously offered Mobile Passport (discontinued 2022) for CBP processing and Alaska Airlines Mobile Verify (discontinued 2025) for airline check-in. The ecosystem is unified by decentralized, consent-driven identity verification and sharing technology that allows users to verify identity once and reuse across multiple services including travel, health, finance, rental, and access control.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Airside App: The primary digital identity mobile application for storing and sharing verified IDs.
- AirsideX
- Mobile Passport
- Curaçao Express Pass
Products and services
- Airside Digital Identity App Free consumer mobile app that lets individuals digitize, store, and share verified government-issued IDs (passports, driver's licenses, REAL IDs) using NFC chip reading and biometric facial matching. Used for travel, border crossing (Mobile Passport Control, Curaçao Express Pass), and partner-verified identity sharing.
- AirsideX Enterprise identity verification platform that allows organizations to verify customer identities, conduct remote onboarding, issue and accept verifiable credentials, and integrate identity checks via APIs and SDKs. Sold to airlines, government agencies, financial services, healthcare, real estate, and access-control customers.
- Curaçao Express Pass Digital border-crossing product that allows travelers to use the Airside app to pre-verify identity and expedite entry into Curaçao, reducing wait times at border control.
- American Airlines Mobile ID Airline-branded digital identity credential built on Airside's technology that lets American Airlines passengers verify their identity digitally for select travel use cases.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40,000 transactions per day at Mobile Passport peak usage
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Airside
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Airside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
Airside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- Vision-BoxcoreVision-Box partnered with Airside and Curaçao to launch the world's first biometric pre-clearance border control program. Vision-Box provides biometric hardware and e-Gates while Airside provides the mobile digital identity verification platform for Curaçao Express Pass.
- OnfidocoreOnfido acquired Airside Mobile Inc in May 2023 to strengthen its position in the digital identity verification market. Airside joined the Onfido family, combining Airside's privacy-first reusable identity platform with Onfido's identity verification technology. In April 2024, Entrust completed acquisition of Onfido, bringing both companies under the Entrust umbrella.
- American AirlinescoreAmerican Airlines partnered with Airside to offer Mobile ID service in the Airside app for AAdvantage members with TSA PreCheck, enabling touchless identity verification at U.S. airport security checkpoints.
- Alaska AirlinescoreAlaska Airlines offered Mobile Verify service in the Airside app enabling U.S. and Canadian passport holders to share verified passport information prior to international flights. Service was available on Alaska Airlines international routes until February 26, 2025.
- U.S. Customs and Border ProtectioncoreCBP partnered with Airside (and ACI-NA) in 2013 to develop the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) program, streamlining the travel inspection process. Mobile Passport launched at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2014 as the first app authorized for U.S. customs.
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA)coreTSA partnership enabled integration of Airside's digital identity verification with TSA PreCheck program, allowing enrolled passengers to use mobile digital IDs at airport security checkpoints.
- AcuantstrategicAcuant partnered with Airside to enable safe sharing of verified digital identities. Acuant provides identity document verification technology integrated into Airside's platform for document scanning and validation.
- TrinsicstrategicTrinsic partnered with Airside as part of the First Identity Acceptance Network, contributing to interoperability and ecosystem growth for reusable digital identities.
- Kantara InitiativestrategicKantara Initiative awarded Airside the High Identity Assurance Trust Mark, evidencing compliance with NIST SP 800-63 rev 3 Class of Approval at IAL2. Kantara's trust framework provides third-party validation of Airside's identity assurance levels.
- RushMyPassportminorPartnership with RushMyPassport enables Airside app users to access expedited passport renewal and visa services. Users receive in-app notifications about passport expiration and can redirect to RushMyPassport for processing.
- Government of CuraçaocoreGovernment of Curaçao partnered with Airside and Vision-Box to launch Curaçao Express Pass, the world's first mobile-based pre-processing border crossing system. Enables eligible passport holders to submit verified passports before arrival for expedited immigration clearance.
- Moderne VenturesminorAirside was selected for Moderne Ventures' Real Estate Industry Immersion Program in 2021, designed to reduce fraud and speed transactions in real estate with private identity proofing.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Airside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CLEAR: CLEAR operates a biometric identity platform that speeds travelers through airport security (TSA PreCheck) and other verification checkpoints. It is a direct competitor to Airside in mobile/airport identity verification, particularly via American Airlines and TSA PreCheck integrations where both companies overlap.
- ID.me: ID.me provides digital identity verification with reusable login credentials used across government (Login.gov), healthcare, financial services, and travel. It competes directly with Airside in reusable digital identity for travel and government use cases, with substantially larger scale.
- Vision-Box: Vision-Box provides biometric border control hardware, eGates, and identity verification systems. It is both a partner of Airside (on Curaçao Express Pass) and a comparable player in the biometric border control and digital travel credential space.
- Yoti: Yoti is a UK-based digital identity platform offering reusable verified IDs via a mobile app, with biometric and document verification. It competes with Airside in reusable privacy-first digital identity for travel, government, and age verification use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Entrust: Entrust is Airside's parent company following the Onfido acquisition. As a broad identity-centric security incumbent serving enterprises and governments, Entrust both competes with and distributes Airside's mobile identity platform.
- Jumio: Jumio provides AI-powered identity verification, KYC, and AML compliance solutions for enterprises, including in travel and financial services. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping biometric verification and document authenticity capabilities.
- Onfido: Onfido is Airside's acquirer (May 2023) and now a sister company under Entrust. Onfido provides AI-based document and biometric identity verification to enterprises globally and overlaps with Airside in identity proofing, KYC/AML, and document authenticity.
- IDEMIA: IDEMIA is a global leader in biometric and identity solutions for government border control, travel, and civil ID programs. It competes with Airside in biometric eGate enablement and government-issued digital travel credentials.
Emerging players
- Persona: Persona offers a configurable identity verification platform serving consumer-facing businesses with reusable identity components. It overlaps with Airside in reusable identity, KYC, and consent-driven data sharing for verticals like travel and rentals.
- Trinsic: Trinsic is an infrastructure provider for reusable digital identity networks and a partner of Airside in the First Identity Acceptance Network. It overlaps with Airside in decentralized, wallet-based identity verification and ecosystem interoperability.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Airside social profiles
Digital presenceAirside compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Airside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Airside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Airside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Airside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Airside
What does Airside do?
Airside builds a privacy-first digital identity platform consisting of the free Airside Digital Identity App — a consumer mobile wallet that lets individuals store and share verified government IDs (passports, driver's licenses, REAL IDs) via NFC and biometrics — and AirsideX, an enterprise platform enabling organizations to verify customer identities, issue verifiable credentials, and conduct remote onboarding. The products are sold to airlines, government agencies, and enterprises in travel, financial services, healthcare, and real estate, and are monetized through enterprise contracts and partner integrations.
Is Airside a public or private company?
Airside is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Airside founded?
Airside was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Airside based?
Airside is headquartered in Herndon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Airside make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Consumer App (Free) is the primary driver. The others are enterprise/Business Solutions, government Partnership (Curaçao Express Pass) and passport/Visa Services (RushMyPassport).
Who are Airside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CLEAR, ID.me, Vision-Box and Yoti. Broad incumbents are Entrust, Jumio, Onfido and IDEMIA. Emerging players are Persona and Trinsic.
Does Airside have an API?
No public API is recorded for Airside.
What industry is Airside in?
Airside's product category is Digital Identity Verification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAPAE, Digital Identity, Biometrics & eGate Enablement.