By Connor Sadler
British Airways Begins Trialing IATA Digital Travel Pass
British Airways has begun trialing the IATA Travel Pass on flights to Switzerland this week.
The airline is trialing the travel pass on flights from London’s Heathrow to Geneva and Zurich. Trials began on June 1.
The travel pass comes in the form of a smartphone app. Once downloaded, passengers create an account to check destination entry requirements and book the appropriate coronavirus tests. Test results are then automatically uploaded into the IATA app.
IATA and British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), are working together to develop the app. The IATA travel pass app is already being trialed by Iberia, Air New Zealand and RwandAir. Copa Airlines and Malaysia Airlines have both also announced their intention to use the IATA app.
According to a British Airways press release, the IATA Travel Pass will, in the future, allow travelers to store their COVID-19 vaccinations. For now, though, the app lets customers store and manage verified test results.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said in the airline press release: “We are committed to exploring ways to ensure that the customer journey is as frictionless as possible and sharing our learnings to help the travel industry take off again.
“We know that digital travel passes are part of the solution, and they will also play a key role in offering those traveling the reassurance they need before they arrive at the airport.
“We hope to be able to offer a customer-friendly digital option for every British Airways international route that requires proof of government mandated Covid status documentation,” continued Doyle.
British Airways is also trialing another digital travel pass app, VeriFLY. American Airlines has also introduced VeriFLY for its customers.
The U.K. flag carrier is trialing VeriFLY on routes to the U.S., Canada, France,…