Covid-19 Unlock: Here is how IATA travel pass will help international passengers travel hassle-free

The Coronavirus pandemic has not only made masses well-versed with new terms like quarantine and positivity rate but also introduced new terms in the aviation and travel sector. After the ‘vaccine passport’ and ‘air bubble’, the newest term to be added in the list is IATA travel pass. After Indigo Airlines began the IATA travel pass trials recently, the budget carrier SpiceJet also has plans to launch the same by next week. In other words, passengers travelling from August 23 onwards on SpiceJet Mumbai-Male flight will be able to show their vaccine status on the IATA travel pass, the Indian Express reported.

What is an IATA travel pass?
It is a mobile application that is designed to facilitate hasslefree travel of passengers in accordance with the Covid-19 test-cum-vaccine status guidelines issued by different governments. Through the IATA travel pass, authorised testing laboratories and test centres will be able to send the test report of an individual securely on the application resulting in safe and hassle free travel for the passengers. With governments of different countries having their own set of requirements including RT-PCR tests and vaccination status for the international passengers, the IATA travel pass will provide easy access to information about the patient’s vaccine and testing status to airlines, border authorities and other law enforcement agencies.

The pass will not only facilitate the easy availability of information related to a passenger but also help the airlines test the veracity of the tests and vaccinated status in a fool-proof and efficient manner.

How many airlines have come on board the IATA pass mechanism?
Apart from Indigo and SpiceJet, a host of global airlines including Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and many more have come onboard the facility. A host of testing laboratories and testing centres from across the world have also got associated with the platform to provide uncompromised and accurate testing status of the passengers. In India, Apollo Hospitals group has joined the initiative and many more are expected to come onboard in the coming days.