The International Air Transport Association has announced it is moving forward with the impending introduction of its Travel Pass. This final development phase will ultimately enable countries to open up their borders to international travelers which are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The digital health pass will support the safe opening of these borders and the IATA Travel Pass will manage and verify the secure flow of necessary testing and vaccine information between governments, laboratories, airlines, and travelers. IATA is calling for systematic COVID-19 testing of all international travelers and the information flow infrastructure needed to enable this must support governments with the means to verify the authenticity of tests and the identity of those presenting the test certificates.
It must also support 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, and 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 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, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
