The first traveller using IATA Travel Pass arrived at Heathrow Airport in London on Wednesday.
IATA Travel Pass, a contactless Travel app, allows passengers to create a “digital passport”, receive tests and vaccination certificates and share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. The app will also help travellers manage travel documentation during their journey.
Passengers on Singapore Airlines flights from Singapore to London could use IATA Travel Pass to create a secure digital version of their passport on their mobile device.
It will allow them to input their flight details in order to learn of travel restrictions and requirements and receive verified test results and confirmation that they meet all travel requirements.
Speaking on the trial's success, IATA’s director-general and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said the implementation of the IATA Travel Pass in the Singapore Airlines trial demonstrated that technology could "help travellers and governments to manage travel health credentials".
He considered the trial a "big win".
"The significance of this to restarting international aviation cannot be overstated. It gives travellers a one-stop-shop to help them comply with the new rules for travel and shows that governments can efficiently manage these travel requirements.
"Efficiently and securely handling health credentials, including vaccine and testing certificates, will be essential to an efficient restart. We believe that the IATA Travel Pass will play a major role in that. And this trial implementation is a milestone on the way to the app release in April," he said.
JoAnn Tan, the acting senior vice president, marketing planning, of Singapore Airlines, said digital health credentials were essential as borders reopened and travel restrictions were progressively lifted worldwide.
"The successful implementation of the IATA Travel Pass reflects Singapore Airlines’ goal of using secure digital solutions to verify health credentials and support a safe and seamless travel experience for our customers," said Tan.
Airlines like Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Qantas, RwandAir and airBaltic have joined the trial. IATA will introduce more airlines soon.