IATA to Introduce Travel Passes for Passengers

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has proposed to introduce travel passes for all the passengers to make travelling during the pandemic an easier affair. The travel passes are anticipated by the end of March and IATA is in talks with the officials. Reportedly, the travel pass will be a mobile application available on Android and iOS, allowing passengers to manage their travel, tests, vaccine history, and other travel-related requirements. 

While it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with state-wise travel restrictions, the travel pass will make journeys convenient for passengers. Airlines all over the world have already started bringing the pass on board their operations.

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All the documentation can be now stored digitally, and information regarding travel history and COVID-19 tests can be managed easily, making it a hassle-free process for the travellers, Vinoop Goel, the IATA Regional Director for Airports and External Relations (Asia Pacific), told PTI. He added, "There&rsquoll be paper-based alternatives for travellers who don&rsquot have mobile phones, albeit less convenient ones. IATA has been managing health requirements through its Timatic solution, so naturally, IATA Travel Pass was an obvious evolution to support the industry during the global pandemic.&rdquo 

Goel stated that the project was announced at the end of 2020 with an aim of launching the application by the end of March 2021. Adhering to the deadline, IATA is focusing all its energies on finishing the project at the earliest, as proposed.

The IATA Travel Pass is a digital solution making travelling amidst the pandemic a smooth ride for all Indian passengers. 

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With an increasingly greater percentage of tech-informed individuals, the incorporation of the new measure within travel plans can only be expected to be fairly straightforward. Goel said, "As per the population and diversity of the Indian aviation travel market and the multiple languages used, it&rsquoll be extremely tough to implement a paper-based certificate verification process.&rdquo

According to IATA officials, the mobile application has four segments&mdashglobal registry of health requirements, global registry of testing/ vaccination centres, a lab app, and a contactless travel app to help create an e-passport, store and share with relevant authorities valid test reports and vaccination certificates, and verify what documents are needed for travel.