Singapore (CU)_ Singapore Airlines announced that it would conduct a trial of a coronavirus digital travel pass in the coming week. It is the first airline in the world to pilot the scheme in order to recover its aviation sector which is impacted by the pandemic. The International Air Transport Association – IATA app will save passenger health information, such as whether virus tests or vaccines have been carried out, to enable travel to become easier as borders are reopened.
Mr. Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Airport, Passenger, Cargo, and Security said, “Our partnership with Singapore Airlines for the first full deployment of the IATA Travel Pass will help get the world flying again. In the immediate term, it is the solution for travelers to safely and securely manage their travel health credentials”.
Singapore Airlines announced that passengers flying from Singapore to London between March 15 and 28 can participate in the pilot if they have a smartphone with iOS system. Pilot scheme participants must take COVID-19 test prior to their departure, and their results as well as the approval to travel will be available on the app.
Ms JoAnn Tan, Acting Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said, “The first phase of the trials helped to support SIA’s drive towards a secure and convenient industry standard for the verification of Covid-19 test results, and the health status of passengers including their vaccination status, in the future”.
Before their flight, the passengers must show their confirmed status in the app to the check-in workers. Other prominent airlines such as Air New Zealand and Emirates have also come forward to test the app. Last year, the airlines lost approximately 510 billion dollars with havocs caused by coronavirus on the aviation industry.
