IATA Set To Roll Out Travel Pass App In The Coming Weeks

IATA is planning to roll out its Travel Pass to the general public in the next couple of weeks. The announcement comes from the organization’s Director-General, Willie Walsh. IATA has been testing the Travel Pass app since earlier this year, which allows travelers to verify their vaccination and testing status beforehand.

After over six months of real-world testing with airlines globally, IATA is closing in on rolling out its Travel Pass widely. Photo: Getty Images

Soon

According to Reuters, IATA’s top boss has confirmed the timeline for the rollout of its much-awaited Travel Pass application. While no firm date was given, Walsh said,

“The feedback has been very positive. We expect to go live out of the testing mode in the next couple of weeks.”

This could mean that we could see IATA’s latest initiative open up to the general public by the end of the month, or possibly early July. Currently, the app is only available to a small number of travelers as a part of testing by airlines globally.

IATA has touted its Travel Pass as a reliable way to reopen international borders by verifying entry requirements. Photo: IATA

Currently, passengers who are eligible to use the app must enter a six-digit airline-issued code to access it. However, once the application rolls out to the general public, passengers globally can upload their flight details, documents, and other details on the Travel Pass for faster clearance at airports. This will allow travelers to create their “health passports” or “vaccine passports” for future journeys.

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Big benefits

The IATA Travel Pass offers passengers, airlines, and countries several critical details to safely conduct international travel. The app will inform travelers of the current health requirements of their destination, including testing, vaccination, and quarantines. After that, users can upload and verify their health documents, like test results and vaccine certificates. Labs can also send authenticated reports directly to the app.

Once uploaded and verified, passengers can simply use the Travel Pass app to prove their eligibility for travel to airlines and border officials alike. This would ease many of the issues currently plaguing travelers and immigration authorities and will facilitate smoother travel.

Airlines began testing the app in January, and since 38 have joined the program. Photo: IATA

Since the Travel Pass initiative first opened for testing, 38 airlines from around the world have signed up. Testing has varied from airlines using it on a handful of routes to deploying it for all arriving passengers. Moreover, this will help prevent testing and vaccination certificate fraud, a growing concern among many officials.

Not the only one

While IATA is preparing for the public rollout of its version of the “health passport,” it isn’t the only one in the game. Apps like VeriFLY, Common Pass, and several others have been deploying their own iterations. All of the services offer the same goal: efficient and reliable processing of documents.

However, considering IATA’s standing in the aviation community, it could quickly become the global leader in digital passports. For now, get ready to start uploading your documents for your next international trip!

What do you think about IATA’s Travel Pass? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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