According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announcement, they are in the final development phase of the IATA Travel Pass, which will help in reopening of the borders.
IATA Digital Health Pass
Reportedly, IATA is all set to launch a digital health pass – will support the safe reopening of borders for international travel and replace quarantine along with Covid-19 testing.
The global airlines body said that it was working with International Airlines Group (IAG) and will undertake a trial to demonstrate the process.
Governments are planning to use testing as a means of limiting the risks of COVID-19 importation when re-opening their borders to travellers without quarantine measures.
So, the said IATA Travel Pass will manage and also verify the secure flow of necessary testing or vaccine information among governments, airlines, laboratories and travellers.
Currently, the IATA Travel Pass is in the final stage of development and the first cross-border IATA Travel Pass pilot is scheduled for later this year and the official launch is planned for the first quarter of 2021.
Concerning the same, IATA is calling for the systematic COVID-19 testing of all international travellers, and also the information flow infrastructure that is needed to enable this.
IATA Travel Pass Objective
“Today borders are double locked. 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,” said Alexandre de Juniac, the IATA’s Director General and CEO.
IATA’s Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, Nick Careen 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 program. The IATA Travel Pass is a solution for both,”.
So far, the airline industry demands a cost-effective, global, and modular solution to safely restart travel.
Considering IATA Travel Pass, it is based on industry standards. Additionally, IATA has got the proven experience in managing information flows around complex travel requirements.
Let’s watch this space for further development.