Malaysia Airlines yesterday had begun to test the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass app for its flight from Kuala Lumpur to London. Set to run until 27 May 2021, the trial involves selected passengers that have been provided early access to the app which is currently only available for iPhone and iPod Touch.
In general, the trial is a continuation of the announcement that the airline had made in February. Back then, Malaysia Airlines revealed its intention to develop its own Digital Travel Health Pass that will be integrated into its mobile app and this pass will be using some modules from the IATA Travel Pass.
According to IATA, its app contains four main modules including a list of health requirements for destinations all over the world. Other than that, the app also has a list of COVID-19 testing and vaccination centres that are located at passenger’s departure point.
The IATA Travel Pass also allows customers to receive their COVID-19 test results as well as proof of vaccination directly on their device through a secure and encrypted channel. Malaysia Airlines said that it is already working with 15 clinics and test labs in Klang Valley to support this feature with more to come as the company is prepping its Digital Travel Health Pass for wider use.
Another key module of the app is the ability for passengers to securely create a digital identity that is being derived from their physical passport and is designed to meet the Digital Travel Credential standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. IATA also noted that its Travel Pass does not use a centralised database and all data is being stored directly on the user’s device.
However, passengers involved in this trial still need to bring related physical documents at check-in for the time being in accordance with the government and airlines requirements. Nevertheless, Malaysia Airlines is still using the trial to help make its own Digital Travel Health Pass more friendly to its passengers by taking technical and cultural factors into consideration.
(Source: The Edge Markets, IATA.)
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