IATA’s new digital health pass set for Q1 2021 is designed to pull airlines out of their stalls
The aviation industry’s leading trade group has said it is in the final stages of developing a new digital health pass which it claims will help to reopen borders and allow airlines to kick-start trading.
The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass, slated to launch in Q1 of 2021, will manage and verify the secure flow of necessary testing or vaccine information among governments, airlines, laboratories and travellers, the group said.
“Today borders are double locked,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s CEO. “Testing is the first key to enable international travel without quarantine measures. The second key is the global information infrastructure needed to securely manage, share and verify test data matched with traveler identities in compliance with border control requirements.
“That’s the job of IATA Travel Pass. We are bringing this to market in the coming months to also meet the needs of the various travel bubbles and public health corridors that are starting operation.”
IATA is calling for systematic COVID-19 testing of all international travellers.
IATA Travel Pass incorporates four open sourced and interoperable modules which can be combined for an end-to-end solution, the group said. This includes:
- Global registry of health requirements – enables passengers to find accurate information on travel, testing and eventually vaccine requirements for their journey.
- Global registry of testing / vaccination centres – enables passengers to find testing centres and labs at their departure location which meet the standards for testing and vaccination requirements of their destination.
- Lab App – enables authorized labs and test centres to securely share test and vaccination certificates with passengers.
- Contactless Travel App – enables passengers to (1) create a ‘digital passport’, (2) receive test and vaccination certificates and verify that they are sufficient for their itinerary, and (3) share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. This app can also be used by travellers to manage travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout their journey, improving travel experience.
IATA and International Airlines Group (IAG) have been working together in the development of the solution and will undertake a trial to demonstrate that this platform combined with COVID-19 testing can reopen international travel and replace quarantine.
Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, said: “Our main priority is to get people traveling again safely. In the immediate term that means giving governments confidence that systematic COVID-19 testing can work as a replacement for quarantine requirements. And that will eventually develop into a vaccine programme.
“The IATA Travel Pass is a solution for both. And we have built it using a modular approach based on open source standards to facilitate interoperability. It can be used in combination with other providers or as a standalone end-to-end solution. The most important thing is that it is responsive to industry’s needs while enabling a competitive market.”
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