With Covid-19 vaccination rates on the rise, the aviation industry is planning to introduce a digital passport app that is expected to arrive as early as mid-April.
The International Air Transport Association announced that the app is now being tested and is expected to be available on iOS on April 15, with an Android version to be released later.
The app will help streamline air travel by digitizing and centralizing COVID-19 test results and vaccinations, as most countries require a negative COVID-19 test to be carried out within one to three days of arrival in another country. It will harmonize validation and authentication of all country rules for COVID-19 passenger travel, as well as <span style=”background-color: #fff7e5;”>creating </span>a digital passport, easy verification of test results and vaccination certificates, and a secure way to share these results with authorities and air travel operators.
In addition, laboratories can even issue digital certificates to passengers before a planned trip.
With over 300 current members, IATA controls a large part of global air traffic. So far, only 20 members have announced that they will test the new app, with Barbados becoming the first country to accept digital documents for COVID-19 testing at its border. Virgin Atlantic announced that it will test the IATA app on the London and Barbados routes from 16 April.
IATA hopes to speed up passenger health and safety checks to encourage more air travel as more people get vaccinated.
The aviation industry is one of the sectors most affected by this global pandemic.
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