Vietnam Airlines to pioneer digital health passport project

Hanoi (VNA) - National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will work with domestic and foreign agencies in building and applying a “COVID-19 vaccine passport” project, Dang Anh Tuan, head of the airline’s Communications and Branding Department, has said.

Representatives from the airline have held a working session with partners from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on a digital health passport project.

Vietnam Airlines was invited by the association to pilot the IATA Travel Pass app, which can help travellers and governments manage travel health credentials.

The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that allows travellers to store and manage certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines. The app has been available in iOS and Android stores.

The information provided through the IATA Travel Pass can be used by governments requiring testing or vaccination proof as a condition of international travel during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical aspect is the fact that the information supplied is verified. It is a secure means to manage health requirements and much more efficient than paper processes.

The IATA Travel Pass will help people travel with ease while meeting any government’s requirements for COVID-19 tests or vaccines.

It enables passengers to create a “digital passport”, receive test and vaccination certificates and verify that they are sufficient for their itinerary, and share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. The app can also be used by travellers to manage travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout their journey, improving the travel experience.

According to IATA’s Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac, the successful implementation of the IATA Travel Pass demonstrates that technology can securely, conveniently, and efficiently help travellers and governments manage travel health credentials.

This is an important basis for international aviation activities to restart, he emphasised.

The IATA Travel Pass has received positive feedback from governments in more than 70 countries and is being piloted by more than 20 airlines worldwide, including five-star airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

The app is forecast to become a global trend, helping countries be more confident in easing travel restrictions and thus rebounding their aviation industries as soon as possible.

Apart from piloting the “COVID-19 vaccine passport”, Vietnam Airlines continues to ensure that international flights are carried out in line with the COVID-19 prevention and control standards at the fourth level - the highest level in its disease safety system.

The carrier is accelerating the completion of procedures to register with the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for all its staff and their relatives.

This demonstrates its efforts to ensure safety on flights./.