Digital health passes advance through testing as air traffic gradually recovers

Digital health passes, including ones utilizing biometric identity verification technology from Yoti and Evernym, are advancing through various stages of the testing process as the aviation industry slowly returns to normal operations.

That gradual recovery will include an 8.9 percent CAGR in global civil aviation, according to a new report on ‘COVID-19 Impact on Civil Aviation Industry…’ from Grand View Research. Following a 60 percent plunge in domestic and international air travel in 2020, airlines are emphasizing technologies like thermal scanning, biometrics, and UV ray disinfection to restore confidence and improve traveler experiences.

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to recovery more quickly than other areas.

Tests and rollouts

Lufthansa Group is testing self-certifying COVID-19 tests through testFRWD’s identyME app to enable passengers on flights to and from Germany and Austria to use at-home tests.

German authorities are preparing to update the country’s entry regulations, according to the announcement, with mandatory COVID tests for unvaccinated travellers, making the move by Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines timely. The airlines offer tests ranging in price from €5.40 to €14.95 each (roughly US$6.40 to $17.75) from distributors.

Identity verification for identyME is provided by Yoti’s face biometrics.

Cathay Pacific has completed its trial of the CommonPass digital health pass, Ledger Insights reports.

The pass was trialed on round-trip flights from Hong Kong to Singapore, using the former’s vaccine code and the latter’s HealthCerts for PCR test results.

Emirates has extended its use of the IATA Travel Pass, which uses biometrics to verify user identity in collaboration with Evernym, to flights to 10 cities, according to Railly News.

Travelers to London, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Istanbul, New York JFK, Moscow, Frankfurt, Charles De Gaulle and Amsterdam can use the IATA Travel Pass to find information such as the location of PCR testing labs, as well as manage travel documents related to COVID-19. The airline plans to continue expanding its use of the solution across its global flight network.

Emirates Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha says the airline has stepped up its “biometric, contactless and digital verification projects to provide our passengers with even greater convenience and assurance when flying with Emirates” in recent months.

Qantas has also selected the IATA Travel Pass, which it will roll out for international flights when they resume, according to DMARGE.

The Australian airline says integration the digital health pass will enable its passengers to provide proof of test results to meet entry requirements for various countries.

Article Topics

airports  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  digital identity  |  Evernym  |  facial recognition  |  health passes  |  IATA Travel Pass  |  identity verification  |  mobile app  |  travel and tourism  |  Yoti