Greece to lift quarantine rule for more travelers, Denmark to open borders from May 1 European Union countries formally agreed on Wednesday to launch COVID travel passes as a step towards reopening to tourism this summer and will negotiate details with the bloc’s lawmakers in May, two diplomatic sources said. This decision comes when many European countries are announcing reopening for summer travel in phased manner. Latest to take such decision are Greece and Denmark. The certificates would allow those vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or with negative test results to travel more easily in the EU, where restrictions on movement have weighed heavily on the travel and tourist industry for over a year. FILE PHOTO: A couple is seen next to rows of empty hammocks during the coronav...
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Singapore will next month accept visitors who use a mobile travel pass containing digital certificates for COVID-19 tests and vaccines, its aviation regulator said on Monday, becoming one of the first countries to adopt the initiative. Singapore will accept the International Air Transport Association (IATA) mobile travel pass for pre-departure checks, where travelers can get clearance to fly to and enter Singapore by showing a smartphone application containing their data from accredited laboratories. FILE PHOTO: People look at a Singapore Airlines plane, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a viewing gallery of the Changi Airport in Singapore. REUTERS/Edgar Su The pass was successfully tested by Singapore Airlines. More than 20 carriers, including Emirates, Q...
Read MoreGlobal airline industry body IATA said on Wednesday a digital travel pass for COVID-19 test results and vaccine certificates would be launched on the Apple platform in mid-April. The digital travel pass, currently in the testing phase, had been planned to be launched by the end of March. IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Kamil Alawadhi said it was expected to launch on the Apple platform around April 15, and later for the Android platform. “But the application will only achieve its success once airlines, different countries, airports adopt it,” Alawadhi said. UK-based carrier Virgin Atlantic said on Friday it would trial the IATA app on its London to Barbados route from April 16. Barbados has said it will accept the pass at its border, one of the ...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport of the first traveler using the IATA Travel Pass app to manage their travel health credentials. “The successful implementation of IATA Travel Pass in this trial with Singapore Airlines passengers demonstrates that technology can securely, conveniently and efficiently help travelers and governments to manage travel health credentials. The significance of this to re-starting international aviation cannot be overstated,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. JoAnn Tan, Acting Senior Vice President, Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: “Digital health credentials will be essential as borders reopen and travel restrictions get progressively lifted worldw...
Read MoreTime to Plan for Restart - Health Travel apps expected to be popular The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced results from its latest poll of recent travelers, revealing growing confidence in a return to air travel, frustration with current travel restrictions, and acceptance of a travel app to manage health credentials for travel. Travel Restrictions 88% believe that when opening borders, the right balance must be struck between managing COVID-19 risks and getting the economy going again85% believe that governments should set COVID-19 targets (such as testing capacity or vaccine distribution) to re-open borders84% believe that COVID-19 will not disappear, and we need to manage its risks while living and traveling normally68% agreed that their quality of life ...
Read MoreThailand’s prime minister said on Tuesday that he has commissioned a study to look into issuing COVID-19 vaccination certificates for international travellers, as the country seeks to revive a tourism industry battered by coronavirus curbs. Meanwhile, EU is going to propose vaccine certificates in time for summer holidays. The Southeast Asian nation has been mulling the idea of so-called “vaccine passports”, but no target date has been set and tourism operators have complained about lost revenue. A Thai traditional giant statue wears a protective mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/Files Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand will proceed with caution, waiting to see how effective vacci...
Read MoreWith vaccine passport on the horizon, Thailand hopes to welcome tourists in 3rd quarter
Vaccine Passports are going to become a reality soon and they are certainly going to help in resurrection of COVID-battered travel and hospitality sector. Passport, or a documentation of COVID vaccination will prove you as safe from either contracting an infection or infecting others. Such travellers will face lesser restrictions and quarantine free travel. Thus, ailing tourism industry can start welcoming tourists again. Many countries and organisations have already bee working in this direction. Thailand has said that it nears vaccine passport and can now hope to welcome tourists in third quarter. European Union is mulling vaccination passports as well, with possibility or EU countries reaching an agreement on Thursday. Global airline industry body IATA has been already working on it...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments to partner with the air transport industry to devise plans to safely re-link people, business and economies when the COVID-19 epidemiological situation permits. A priority for this critical cooperation is acceleration of the establishment of global standards for vaccination and testing certification. “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccination programs roll out. Turning this vision into a safe and orderly re-start will require careful planning and coordination by governments and industry. This will be challenging as the priority for the weeks and months ahead will be containing the spread of new variants. But even as the crisis deepens, it is important to prepare the way for a resumption of f...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) is partnering with Emirates and Etihad Airways, the two flag carriers of the UAE to become the first airlines in the world to trial IATA Travel Pass – a mobile app to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. IATA Travel Pass enables Emirates and Etihad Airways passengers to create a ‘digital passport’ to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination. They will also be able to share the test and vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. The new app will also enable travellers to manage all travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel experie...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled key design elements of the IATA Travel Pass. IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app to help travelers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. “Testing is the immediate solution to safely re-open 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,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Three critical desi...
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