With airlines hoping for a spring revival in business as vaccination and testing become more widespread, their industry organization, IATA, has been working with airlines and governments on an app that would provide a common credential for safe travel.
The Travel Pass, sponsored by International Air Transport Association, would link government and health agency databases with airlines, allowing airline and border control officials to quickly verify if a traveler meets the most current requirements for testing or vaccination. The app would be linked to travelers’ government-issued passports, so handing over the physical passport would become unnecessary.
Because government requirements change, and because there have been issues with travelers presenting falsified test results, a secure digital credential is widely seen as critical to any return to ‘normalcy.’ IATA says its surveys show that travelers support the idea; 70% of respondents have concerns about handing over physical documents at the airport; 85% say they would feel safer with touchless processing and 44% responded that they are willing to share personal data for this purpose, up from 30% in a June survey.
