IATA Travel Pass – Digital health pass that will support the safe reopening of borders
While governments are using tests to limit the spread of COVID-19, IATA Travel Pass will manage and verify the secure flow of necessary testing or vaccine information among governments, airlines, laboratories, and travellers.
The travel pass, developed by IATA is a mobile app that informs passengers on what tests, vaccines and other measures they require prior to travel, details on where they can get tested and giving them the ability to share their tests and vaccination results in a verifiable.
The information aims to support:
- Governments with the means to verify the authenticity of tests and the identity of those presenting the test certificates.
- Airlines with the ability to provide accurate information to their passengers on test requirements and verify that a passenger meets the requirements for travel.
- Laboratories with the means to issue digital certificates to passengers that will be recognized by governments.
- Travelers with accurate information on test requirements, where they can get tested or vaccinated, and the means to securely convey test information to airlines and border authorities.
IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac says,
“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 traveller 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 Travel Pass incorporates four open sourced and interoperable modules, which can be combined for an end-to-end solution:
Registry of health requirements
- Enables passengers to find information on travel, testing and vaccine requirements for their journey
Registry of testing/vaccination centres
- Enables passengers to find testing centers and labs at their departure and/or arrival location that can conduct COVID-19 tests in accordance with the type of test required for their journey
Lab App
- Enables authorized labs and test centers to securely send test results or vaccination certificates to passengers
Travel Pass App
- Enables passengers to create a ‘digital passport’, verify their test/vaccination meets the regulations & shares test or vaccination certificates with authorities to facilitate travel.
- Can be used by travellers to manage travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel experience.
Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines are among the other airlines currently conducting trials.
Credit: IATA