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SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers will be able to use a mobile app to check COVID-19 test results and vaccination status as the national carrier becomes the first airline to test the SINGAPORE Travel Pass. International Air Transport Associations (IATA).
The test will begin with passengers traveling from Singapore to London between March 15 and March 28, the airline said in a press release on Monday (March 8).
IATA, a global body representing some 290 airlines, had previously said it would formally launch its travel pass later this month.
It will be available to those who use Apple iOS devices. They will be invited to download the app and create a digital ID with photo and passport information, with the option to also include their flight information.
They can then book a COVID-19 test prior to departure at any of the seven participating clinics in Singapore via an online portal, and register at the clinic using the digital ID and flight information in the app.
“They will be able to see the results of their tests, as well as the status of confirmation to fly, directly in the application,” said SIA, noting that IATA’s Timatic registry, already used by airlines to verify travel document requirements of passengers, would provide back-end information on COVID-19 testing and entry requirements.
“Participants will need to show their confirmed status on the app to check-in staff at Changi Airport prior to flight departure,” the airline added.
“In accordance with current regulatory requirements, they will also need to bring a physical copy of their health certificate issued by the clinic where they underwent the Covid-19 test.”
READ: IATA plans digital travel pass to guide airlines towards recovery
Participants can expect a “faster and smoother registration process” with the consolidation of health status verification into a single app, SIA said.
They will also have “full control” over how their personal information is shared, as the data is stored locally on the mobile phone and not in any central database, the operator added.
“This is critical given the highly sensitive nature of health data,” he said.
“If successful, the pilot will pave the way for the integration of the entire digital health verification process into the SingaporeAir mobile app from mid-2021, again using the IATA Travel Pass framework,” said SIA.
“SIA will continue to work closely with its partners in Singapore and around the world in facilitating these trials and towards the ultimate restoration of a seamless travel experience for its clients.”
FIRST PHASE TESTED LAST YEAR
This comes after SIA tested the first phase of its digital health verification process, also based on the IATA Travel Pass framework, in December last year, in which passengers who took their COVID-19 tests in Selected clinics in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur received either digital or paper health certificates.
“Airport check-in staff and Singapore’s immigration authority verified the authenticity of these certificates through a secure mobile app and ensured that customers met Singapore’s entry requirements,” SIA said.
Its registration staff verified more than 200 successful health certificates, with no fraudulent certificates being detected, it added.
READ: Singapore Airlines tests new app to check COVID-19 test results and vaccination status
READ: Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble May Launch ‘When Conditions Are Right’: Ong Ye Kung
Other airlines, including Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines, have also said they would test the IATA Travel Pass.
This first phase helped support SIA’s push toward a “safe and convenient industry standard” for verifying COVID-19 test results and passenger health, said the acting senior vice president of marketing and planning. SIA, JoAnn Tan.
“That gives us confidence that in the second phase, we can further streamline the verification process for eventual integration into the SIA mobile app,” he said.
“In the long term, the digital identity elements of the IATA Travel Pass will put Singapore Airlines passengers at the front of the line for an even more convenient contactless travel experience,” said IATA Senior Vice President for Airports, Passengers, Cargo. and security. Nick Careen.
Last week, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore was in bilateral and international discussions on a certification system for COVID-19 vaccines, which he described as a “critical new development” for the revival of air travel. .
In January, SIA partnered with travel experiences firm Collinson to test a “one-stop-shop online solution” for COVID-19 testing before departure for passengers.
The pre-departure test service is currently available to Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers departing from Singapore, Jakarta and Medan, SIA said, adding that it plans to expand the service to more cities if successful.
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