IATA unveils key design elements of IATA Travel Pass

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has unveiled key design elements of the IATA Travel Pass, a mobile app to help travellers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for Covid-19 testing or vaccine information.

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO, said: “Testing is the immediate solution to safely reopen borders and re-connect people. And eventually, this is likely to transition to vaccination requirements. In either case, a secure system to manage Covid-19 testing or vaccination information is critical.

“The IATA Travel Pass is a solution that both travelers and governments can trust. And it is being built with data security, convenience and verification as top priorities.”

Scheduled for release in 1Q2021 for Android and iPhone, the IATA Travel Pass will boast three critical design elements:

1. Putting travellers in control of their personal information for top level data security and data privacy.

The IATA Travel Pass stores encrypted data including verified test or vaccination results on the mobile device of the traveller, who controls dissemination of information to airlines and authorities. No central database or data repository is storing the information, thereby, ensuring the highest standards for data privacy.

2. Global standards recognised by governments to ensure verified identity and test/vaccine information.

a. Verified identity: A government issued ePassport is used to verify the identity of the user. It also serves to create a digital representation of the user’s passport to allow the information to be sent electronically in a secured way that is linked to their verified identity.

b. Verified test results or vaccine information: Currently, the main vaccination requirement for entry into some countries is for yellow fever. Under the International Health Regulations, this is managed by the “yellow card” or International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis. The World Health Organization is developing digital standards that will make these vastly more secure and will dramatically reduce fraud. When ready, the IATA Travel Pass will be able to accommodate such new global standards.

Until a Covid-19 vaccine is widely available to the general public, the priority is on Covid-19 testing. Laboratories have well-established safety standards for managing and verifying test results to individuals. IATA is partnering with selected and established laboratories to securely link their test results with the verified identity of the IATA Travel Pass holder.

3. Convenience and biosafety will be enhanced with integration into contactless travel processes. The ICAO CART recommendations for biosafety include the use of contactless travel processes to reduce the risk of virus transmission when documents need to be exchanged in the travel process.

The industry has been developing contactless travel processes as part of a One ID transformation programme for several years. The IATA Travel Pass digital identity management module uses the principles of One ID (which are, in turn, based on ICAO standards). For the passenger, this means that the IATA Travel Pass will also unlock the potential for convenient contactless travel processes from check-in to boarding.

IATA is developing the IATA Travel Pass in four independent modules that can interact with each other. These modules will cover registries for regulatory entry requirements and labs/test centres, verified certificate issuance, digital identity and the possibility for passengers to share their tests results along their journey via their mobile device. Open standards enable the modules to be used as one solution or to complement capabilities being developed by other solutions providers.

-TTG Asia.