Are Covid Vaccination Passports The New Found Normal For Global Aviation?

By all means, the aviation industry is all set to go forward with the idea of vaccine passports, especially inclined towards both domestic and international travel.

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Industry leaders are coordinating their efforts to create a digital passport that would say whether a passenger has been vaccinated for COVID-19. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced this week it is in the final phase of development for what it hopes will be universally accepted documentation that in turn could boost confidence among weary travellers.

The digital health pass would include a passenger’s testing and vaccine information and would manage and verify information among governments, airlines, laboratories and travellers.

“Testing is the first key to enable international travel without quarantine measures. The second key is the global information infrastructure needed to securely manage, share and verify test data matched with traveler identities in compliance with border control requirements,” Alexandre de Juniac, who happens to be the IATA CEO, said in his official statement.

The pass would enable travellers to find verified testing centres and labs at their point of departure that meet the standards and requirements of their destination to avoid quarantine rules and travel restrictions. Globally, the sector is expected to lose at least $1.2tr thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and the UK's airlines are feeling the pain. British Airways owner IAG has racked up £5.1bn in losses so far this year, while EasyJet plunged into the red for the first time in the year to September, with a £1.3bn annual pre-tax loss.

The first vaccines to tackle Covid-19 could be available within weeks, prompting governments and technology companies to revive the idea of so-called 'health passports' to unlock international travel.