Page 21 - AAA JANUARY-MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

March. “Even as vaccination programs gather In January, American Airlines introduced the VeriFLY app, a mobile
pace, new COVID variants are leading gov- health passport that helps passengers from international desti-
ernments to increase travel restrictions. The nations upload negative COVID-19 results and other documents
uncertainty around how long these restrictions needed for travel. Alaska Airlines and British Airways have also
will last also has an impact on future travel. introduced the app. The World Health Organization is working on a
Financial prospects for the year are worsening digital vaccine certificate for international travel while Health Pass
as governments tighten travel restrictions.” by Clear is in use at Los Angeles International Airport. IBM is close
to unveiling its digital health pass, which will include vaccine status
IATA does not foresee the Travel Pass being or test results for people who have not been vaccinated.
of use only during the pandemic. While the Even as the industry does its bit to restart global travel. pres-
need for Covid-19 information verification may sure is mounting on governments to lift quarantine requirement
eventually disappear when we overcome the for those who have the valid documents to prove that they do not
pandemic, the Travel Pass will remain a bold pose a health risk. While the UK is working with other countries
step forward in the implementation of contact- for the introduction of common standards for international travel,
less travel,” says de Juniac. the European Commission is planning to propose an EU-wide dig-
ital “green pass” to serve as proof of COVID-19 vaccination or test
More Digital Health Passports results.
The IATA is not the only agency working to
ensure swifter opening of international bor- “It is critical that governments build and share their restart plans
ders. The CommonPass digital health app of along with the benchmarks that will guide them. This will enable
the Commons Project Foundation (TCP), which the industry to be prepared to energize the recovery without any
lets individuals collect lab results and vaccina- unnecessary delay,” says de Juniac.
tion records from health data sources in the
CommonTrust Network and prove that the Quick Revival Unlikely
records satisfy the health screening require- With vaccination on the rise in most countries, industry experts
ments of their destinations, is currently being expect the introduction of digital health passports to have a positive
used by United Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, impact on aviation, but they warn against expecting an overnight
Lufthansa, and Swiss while Qantas has started revival. In 2020, international traffic fell by 74 per cent, or around
its customer trial of the app. In October last 1.4 billion passengers. According to the most optimistic scenario
year, the CommonPass was successfully trialed of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN’s
on a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong air transportation agency, 2021 passenger numbers will recover
Kong to Singapore. Oneworld, Star Alliance, globally to 71% of their 2019 levels - or 53% for international and
and SkyTeam, which represent 58 member air- 84% for domestic flights – by June this year. A more pessimistic
lines, are in favor of using the CommonPass as scenario foresees only a 49% recovery - 26 % for international
a way to bypass quarantines. and 66 % for domestic travel.

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE January/March | 21