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| Singapore Airlines aircraft / Courtesy of Singapore Airlines |
By Jun Ji-hye
Singapore Airlines has become the world's first airline to use the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Travel Pass, a mobile application designed to show if passengers have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested negative for the coronavirus.
The pilot program is being tested on passengers travelling from Singapore to London from March 15 through 28. This marks the second phase of the airline's digital health verification process trials based on IATA's Travel Pass framework.
Passengers using mobile phones running on Apple's iOS can download the IATA Travel Pass app and create a digital ID comprised of their profile photo and passport information.
They can book their pre-departure COVID-19 test at one of seven participating clinics in Singapore via a dedicated online portal. They can then register at the clinic using the digital ID and flight information in the app.
On the app, they are able to view their test results and whether they are confirmed to fly, and are required to show their confirmed status in the app to the check-in staff at Changi Airport before flight departure.
The air carrier said the app should speed up the check-in process, noting that the data will be stored locally in the mobile phone and not in any central database, considering the highly sensitive nature of health data.
If successful, pilot program will pave the way for the integration of the entire digital health verification process into the Singapore Air mobile app from around mid-2021 using IATA's Travel Pass framework, the company said.
"This will help provide a hassle-free digital system for our customers in the new normal, and help bring about a more seamless travel experience," said JoAnn Tan, the acting senior vice president for marketing planning at Singapore Airlines.
Nick Careen, IATA's senior vice president for airport, passenger, cargo and security, said, "Our partnership with Singapore Airlines for the first full deployment of the IATA Travel Pass will help get the world flying again."
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