Etihad is one of several airlines planning to test the IATA Travel Pass for air passengers during the pandemic. Photo: Delivered
Several major airlines have announced that they will be testing the International Air Transport Association’s Travel Pass for COVID-safe air travel.
What is the IATA Travel Pass and how will it help passengers fly in the age of COVID-19?
What is it?
The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that travelers can use to manage regulatory requirements for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. The app contains encrypted data, including verified COVID-19 test or vaccination results, on a traveler’s mobile device. Travelers can then share the information with airlines to prove they have been vaccinated or have had a recent COVID-19 test.
One of the goals of the app is to get people flying again, safely and without quarantine.
Why do we need it?
Several countries, including Australia, require international arrivals to show they have had a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight. The Australian government requires passengers to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure.
Several other countries around the world are now opening up to tourists who can prove they have been vaccinated.
IATA wants to make their app a safe way for passengers to prove that they meet the requirements to fly.
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Which airlines use it?
So far, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways have announced that they will test the app or aspects of it with passengers. Several other airlines have expressed interest in introducing it.
How does it work?
Travelers who are vaccinated or undergoing a COVID-19 test will receive a digital certificate from verified testing or vaccination centers that can be saved in the app and then shared with airlines to prove their status. They can share their information before arriving at the airport to confirm that they are allowed to fly.
The Travel Pass consists of four independent modules that can interact with each other. Airlines can use all elements as an end-to-end solution or integrate aspects of the pass into their own systems (Singapore Airlines has already announced this) Integrate the Travel Pass into its own app.
In addition to confirming that passengers are allowed to fly, the app also provides up-to-date information on the entry regulations of the countries. There are also plans to include a registry of testing and vaccination centers.
How do I access it?
The app is not yet available. IATA says it will be released for iPhone and Android in the first quarter of 2021.
Since the end of December, Singapore Airlines has been testing a sub-process on some routes on which travelers receive either a digital or a paper certificate with a QR code. Singapore Airlines can then scan the code at the airport to check the passenger’s COVID-19 status.
Other airlines plan to roll out the app in the coming months. Qatar Airways plans to be the first to use the app on the Doha-Istanbul route from March. Emirates plans to test the app in April. Etihad also plans to test them in the first quarter of the year.
Is it safe?
IATA promises “the highest standards” for data protection and data protection for the app, while complying with data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
“The traveler controls which information is passed on from his phone to airlines and authorities. No central database or data repository stores the information,” says IATA.
The app is designed to prevent fraudulent test and vaccination results. There have already been cases in which passengers faked their COVID-19 IDs. French police disbanded a counterfeit ring in November selling fake test results at Charles De Gaulle Airport.
Will Australian airlines take it over?
As Australia’s major airlines do not currently fly internationally (with the exception of occasional government-sponsored Qantas return flights for Australians stuck abroad), no implementation is currently planned.
Given that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has stated that passengers are only allowed to fly with the airline if they have been vaccinated, it is very likely that the app or elements of it will be carried over. The airline has previously stated it is interested in the IATA app.
A Virgin Australia spokesman said: “We will consider relevant government and health advice at the time of resumption of international travel and make decisions about the use of technologies such as the IATA passport in line with the well-being of customers and crew members and appropriate privacy regulations . “
Do i have to use it
Airlines are currently only planning to test the app as an option on selected routes. Singapore Airlines continues to allow passengers to use paper medical certificates during the attempt. If it is successful, however, passengers should not be surprised if airlines make the IATA app mandatory.
Because of the above potential for fraudulent test and vaccination results, the IATA app provides a more reliable way to confirm the status of passengers. With IATA 290 representing major airlines from 117 countries and setting industry standards and guidelines, it is to be expected that most airlines will eventually support the app.
See also: The other virus travelers already have to prove that they are immune to them
See also: The countries open their borders to vaccinated tourists
