ANA Set To Begin Trials Of CommonPass Health Passport

As airlines continue to ‘partner up’ with digital health passport services, Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) has chosen CommonPass to conduct a trial program. Use of the CommonPass app will allow travelers to document and share their COVID-19 testing status and vaccination history, among other things.

ANA’s trial of CommonPass started with a Haneda to New York flight on March 29th. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

“At ANA, we are constantly looking for ways to make the travel experience safer and more convenient. Our trials of the CommonPass Health application will help us to ensure that these procedures will enable us to simplify international travel while also protecting passenger privacy.” -Juichi Hirasawa, Senior Vice President of ANA Corporate Planning

First test already achieved

ANA is conducting the first trial of the CommonPass digital health passport on its Tokyo Haneda-New York route. With a start date of March 29th, the trial program is already underway.

“Ensuring that entrants meet all COVID-19 related immigration regulations, the system removes barriers to and expedites processing of international travel while also protecting user privacy.” -ANA via press statement

The smartphone-based app hopes to make document verification easier for customs and immigration personnel as well as airline staff. Photo: CommonPass

With this trial underway, ANA will verify the app’s effectiveness of tests and check-in procedures at Haneda Airport. From the trial, the airline will use the information it gathers to improve the process in order to establish “a system for safe international travel and to improve all aspects of the passenger experience.”

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What digital health passports offer

According to ANA, CommonPass will:

1. Verify an individual’s lab test results are conducted at accredited laboratories within the required timeframe,
2. Verify an individual’s vaccination records come from a trusted source,
3. Ensure that the traveler meets the health screening requirements of the country they want to enter.

The graphic below outlines the basic steps in the travel process using CommonPass:

CommonPass is similar in function to many other digital health passports being adopted by airlines worldwide. Photo: CommonPass

Other airlines trialing CommonPass

With several digital health passports now on the market, airlines are hard at work in the background evaluating which service might be the best for their needs. We’ve seen American Airlines, British Airways, and Alaska Airlines work with VeriFly for select services, while IATA’s Travel Pass is getting attention from carriers in the Middle East, airBaltic, Air New Zealand, and Singapore Airlines, among others.

“We believe that digital travel passes will play an important role in helping facilitate the safe, progressive return of international travel. We have therefore been collaborating with our industry partners to pursue the adoption of universally recognized digital travel passes.” -Cathay Pacific spokesperson

On the CommonPass side, Cathay Pacific has been trialing the app with its pilots and crew between Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Meanwhile, United Airlines successfully trialed the app among passengers and crew last October. Qantas also trialed CommonPass on a flight from Frankfurt in February. For its flights from Boston to Aruba, JetBlue is also making use of CommonPass.

Have you had the chance to try a digital health passport yet? If so, we’d love to hear about the experience! Share it by leaving a comment.

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