What is the IATA Travel Pass
IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform that allows passengers to easily and securely verify that they meet COVID-19 test or vaccine travel requirements, allowing governments to reopen borders. The platform, developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world’s airlines, is intended to be integrated into airlines’ own apps, so air travelers can easily understand what they need before flying.
The innovative solution developed simplifies and digitally transmits the information required by countries and governments all over the world into airline systems in a secure and efficient manner.
Features
The trial app includes a registry of testing centers and labs near the departure and/or arrival locations that can perform COVID-19 tests in accordance with the type of test required for the journey. It will be able to safely and securely share tests and vaccination certificates with participating authorities and airlines worldwide, ensuring smooth and seamless travel.
Africa’s first airline to trial the digital travel pass
RwandAir will be the first African airline to evaluate the IATA Travel Pass, which will allow for safe and seamless international travel. In April, the airline will launch a three-week trial for customers traveling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, stated: “RwandAir is proud to be the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass, which could reinforce all the health and safety measures and protocols which we have put in place to restore customer confidence to fly once more. We are incredibly proud to be part of IATA’s Industry Advisory Panel, to ensure we guide the technology development in a way that covers the unique requirements of our passenger profile.”
“Travel Pass will make it easy for our customers to resume flying – and just as easy for RwandAir, and airlines around the world, to accept them.”
RwandAir customers participating in the trial will create a ‘digital passport’ which verifies that their pre-travel COVID-19 test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination they are travelling to.
Main Priority
The main priority is to get people back in the air safely. In the short term, this means reassuring governments that systematic pre-departure COVID-19 testing can function as a replacement for quarantine requirements. And this will eventually lead to the development of a vaccine program.
The IATA Travel Pass is a solution for both of these issues. As an industry solution based on open-source standards, it is built in modules. It can be used in conjunction with other service providers or as a stand-alone solution. The most important aspect is that it responds to industry needs while allowing for a competitive market.
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