The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that it is in the final development phase of the IATA Travel Pass, a digital health pass that will support the safe reopening of borders.
Governments are beginning to use testing as a means of limiting the risks of COVID-19 importation when re-opening their borders to travellers without quarantine measures. IATA Travel Pass is expected to manage and verify the secure flow of necessary testing or vaccine information among governments, airlines, laboratories and travellers.
IATA is calling for systematic COVID-19 testing of all international travellers and the information flow infrastructure needed to enable this must support.
The body is calling on 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.
“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,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
IATA and International Airlines Group (IAG) have been working together in the development of this solution and will undertake a trial to demonstrate that this platform combined with COVID-19 testing can reopen international travel and replace quarantine.
“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. 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,” said Nick Careen, IATA's Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security.
The first cross-border IATA Travel Pass pilot is scheduled for later this year and the launch slated for quarter one 2021.