The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that its digital travel pass will be ready within weeks. The pass is currently being trialled by a number of airlines – including all three gulf carriers – but it is hoped that a fully functioning system will go live in March.
Vinoop Goel, IATA’s regional director of airports and external relations, told the BBC that “the key issue is one of confidence. Passengers need to be confident that the testing they’ve taken is accurate and will allow them to enter the country.”
In January, ITTN reported that the digital pass – a mobile app that will allow travellers to store and manager their Covid-19 test results or vaccines – would be ready by March, but today’s announcement confirms that IATA’s accelerated development plan has borne fruit. IATA also believes that a successful rollout of the travel pass, which will be available for free on iOS and Android platforms, will give governments confidence to reopen their borders as it offers officials a digital document that has been properly trialled and tested and – importantly – is verified by an approved authority.
