The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for caution in response to a European Commission Recommendation that the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) should only remain valid for up to nine months after the second vaccination dose, unless a booster jab is administered. “The EU DCC is a great success in driving a common continent-wide approach to managing the COVID-19 health crisis and in facilitating the freedom of people to travel again. It underpins a fragile recovery in the travel and tourism sector. And it is critical that any changes to it have a joined-up approach that recognizes the impact of divergent policies by individual member states and promotes further harmonization across Europe,” said Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe. FILE...
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To start trial on Mumbai-Male flight from August 23, IATA confirms SpiceHealth as the lab partner In a step towards building passenger confidence as international travel picks up, SpiceJet will begin trial of IATA (International Air Transport Association) Travel Pass mobile app for digital health verification. The trial will be conducted on flights out of Mumbai to Male effective August 23, 2021. The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile application that helps travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for Covid-19 tests or vaccinations. The Travel Pass will manage and verify the traveller’s COVID-19 status in line with governments’ health and border requirements. In another significant development, SpiceHealth has been on-boarded by IATA as a lab partner for the Tra...
Read MoreFragmented EU digital COVID certificate verification will undermine smooth summer travel
At least 10 different approaches among 27 Member States under review ahead of 01 July Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) implementation deadline.Airlines and airports urge Member States to develop online national portals to process and verify passengers’ DCCs digitally, from home (‘off airport’).Duplicate checks and lack of verification tools provided to airlines will cause unnecessary airport queues and longer processing times if not addressed by Member States. Ahead of the 01 July deadline for Member States to implement the EUs Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) system – the crucial enabler for the restoration of freedom of movement within Europe - airlines and airports are warning of major operational risks due to the inconsistent approach by Member States in applying the DCC across Europ...
Read MoreHopes rise for vaccinated travelers in Europe, but Global restart still stalled
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has welcomed the relaxation of COVID-19 border measures for vaccinated passengers, and the broader use of affordable antigen testing adopted by Spain and France this week. This is tempered by ongoing disappointment at the failure to implement harmonized measures across Europe and deep frustration at the lack of coordination among governments worldwide for a data-driven risk-managed approach to re-establishing the freedom to travel. # As of 7 June, Spain opened its borders to most vaccinated travelers from around the world and allowed EU travelers to enter the country with a negative antigen test. Furthermore, passengers coming from low-risk countries (including the UK) can enter without any restrictions.# From 9 June France opened ...
Read MoreSupporting the Safe Reopening of European Borders Four leading industry associations are mobilizing employees and individual travellers to urge policy-makers to coordinate and lift travel restrictions across Europe. As EU countries review the updated European Commission proposal to coordinate the easing of travel restrictions across Europe, Airlines For Europe (A4E), Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC) have together launched Destination Summer, with the goal of working with European Union and national policymakers to adopt a harmonised approach for the lifting of travel restrictions – enabling the safe and smooth resumption of free movement for European citizens. ...
Read MoreGermany hopes for a swift agreement on a COVID-19 certificate that could allow citizens to travel more easily in the European Union, as more and more countries are opening up amid falling infection rates ahead of the summer holiday season. European affairs ministers met on Tuesday in Brussels to discuss the details of the “green certificate” that the EU aims to introduce in June, but talks between the European Commission, EU lawmakers and EU governments have yet to reach an agreement. FILE PHOTO: People receive COVID-19 vaccine in the Central Mosque in Ehrenfeld suburb, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Cologne, Germany, May 8, 2021. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen While EU officials stress they will not discriminate against those who do not have a certificate, touris...
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