Digital health certificates may be the key to restart air travel worldwide.
Already, Singapore has become the first country to accept the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel pass, the umbrella group of airlines yesterday (April 6) announced.
Starting next month, May 1, 2021, passengers traveling to Singapore can use the IATA Travel Pass to show their pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test results upon check-in with their airline, as well as on-arrival at the immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport.
Todate, over 20 airlines have announced trials of the IATA Travel Pass, a personal secure digital wallet solution where passengers can obtain and store their COVID-19 test results from accredited laboratories.
“Having the confidence of an aviation leader like Singapore accept IATA Travel Pass is hugely significant," stressed new IATA Director General Willie Walsh.
"Ongoing trials put us on track for IATA Travel Pass to be a critical tool for the industry’s restart by delivering verified travel health credentials to governments," he pointed out.
Add to that, travelers can have complete confidence that their personal data is secure and under their own control.
"The success of our joint efforts will make IATA’s partnership with the government of Singapore a model for others to follow,” Walsh maintained.
The initiative was part of an ongoing collaboration between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and IATA to facilitate seamless and efficient travel through digital certificates of COVID-19 tests.
"This latest collaboration with IATA demonstrates our shared commitment to drive the adoption of digital health certificates and restore international air travel," says Kevin Shum, CAAS Director-General.
"As we look to safely rebuild the Changi air hub, we will continue to explore other solutions that can provide secure and verifiable means of sharing health certificates for safe international travel,” he elaborated.
Following the successful trials by Singapore Airlines, the Singapore health and border control authorities will accept the IATA Travel Pass as a valid form of presentation of COVID-19 pre-departure test results for entry into Singapore.
The information presented on the IATA Travel Pass will be in a format that satisfies Singapore’s prevailing COVID-19 pre-departure test requirements for entry into Singapore.
Travelers to Singapore intending to use the digital solution should check with the airlines they are travelling with for eligibility to use the IATA Travel Pass.