Travel Industry News at TravelNewsAsia.com since 1997. Interviews, podcasts, videos, pictures and more
Mon, 8 March 2021

Singapore Airlines to Pilot IATA Travel Pass on Flights to London Heathrow

Singapore Airlines is set to become the world’s first airline to pilot the IATA Travel Pass for digital health verification, starting with passengers travelling from Singapore to London between 15 to 28 March 2021.

The pilot marks the second phase of SIA’s digital health verification process trials, which is based on the IATA Travel Pass framework.

Passengers with mobile phones running on Apple’s iOS operating system will be invited to download the IATA Travel Pass app, and create a digital ID comprising their profile photo and passport information. They can also insert their flight information into the app.

Subsequently, they can book their pre-departure COVID19 test at one of seven participating clinics in Singapore via a dedicated online portal. They then register at the clinic using the digital ID and flight information in the app. They will be able to view their test results, as well as confirmation status to fly, directly on the app. IATA’s Timatic registry will provide the back-end information on the COVID19 testing and entry requirements.

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 reg: 9V-SMS. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com Click to enlarge.

Participants will need to show their confirmed status in the app to the check-in staff at Changi Airport before flight departure. In line with current regulatory requirements, they will also need to bring a physical copy of the health certificate that has been issued by the clinic where they took their COVID19 test.

If successful, the pilot will pave the way for the integration of the entire digital health verification process into the SingaporeAir mobile app from around mid-2021, again using IATA’s Travel Pass framework.

Ms JoAnn Tan, Acting Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said, “The first phase of the trials helped to support SIA’s drive towards a secure and convenient industry standard for the verification of COVID19 test results, and the health status of passengers including their vaccination status, in the future. That gives us the confidence that in the second phase, we can further streamline the verification process for eventual integration into SIA’s mobile application. This will help to provide a hassle-free digital solution for our customers in the new normal, and help to bring about a more seamless travel experience.”

The Singapore Airlines – IATA Travel Pass Pilot comes after a series of digital initiatives launched by SIA to streamline digital health verification for travellers.

SIA trialled the first phase of its digital health verification process, the first in the world to be based on IATA’s Travel Pass framework, in December 2020.

Customers who took their COVID19 tests at selected clinics in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur were given either digital or paper health certificates with a QR code. Airport check-in staff and Singapore’s immigration authority verified the authenticity of these certificates via a secure mobile app, and ensured that the customers met  Singapore’s entry requirements.

The trial has since recorded more than 200 successful health certificate verifications by SIA check-in staff, with no fraudulent certificates detected.

In January 2021, SIA partnered with Collinson to pilot an one-stop online solution for COVID19 pre-departure testing for passengers.

With pre-departure testing becoming a mandatory requirement for more countries, the service would allow SIA’s customers to book their test appointments on an online booking portal securely and seamlessly after making their flight bookings.

The pre-departure test service is currently available to Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers departing from Singapore, Jakarta and Medan. There are plans to expand this service to more cities in the SIA and SilkAir network over the next few months if the pilot is successful.

Mr. Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Airport, Passenger, Cargo, and Security said, “Our partnership with Singapore Airlines for the first full deployment of the IATA Travel Pass will help get the world flying again. In the immediate term, it is the solution for travellers to safely and securely manage their travel health credentials. In the longer term, the digital identity elements of the IATA Travel Pass will place Singapore Airlines passengers at the front of the queue for an even more convenient contactless travel experience.”

IATA Travel Pass - Exclusive Video Interview with Vinoop Goel

PODCAST

Editor's note: As the above video interview was conducted over the internet, I would like to apologise that the audio and visual quality are not up to the same HD/UHD quality that it normally would be. Hopefully it won't be too long until we are once again conducting exclusive video interviews in person, but for now we have to make do with what we have. Thank you.

See also: Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA (November 2019).

See latest Travel Industry News, Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: COVID19, Singapore Airlines, IATA, IATA Travel Pass, Singapore.

Headlines: AirAsia Malaysia to Launch Direct Flights Between Kota Kinabalu and Seoul, South Korea  EcoPulse Completes First Flight Test in Hybrid-Electric Mode  SITA Appoints Stefan Schaffner as SVP Airports and Sergiy Nevstruyev as SVP Global Services  Lufthansa Group Expands Green Fares to 12 Long-Haul Flights  Thai Airways Launches Flights Between Bangkok and Istanbul, Türkiye  Marriott Signs 350-Room, New-Build W Hotel in Singapore  Hong Kong Airlines Launches Flights to Kumamoto, Japan  BCD Travel Forecasts Increase in Hotel Rates and Decrease in Airfares in 2024  Minor Expands Dollars for Deeds CSR Programme to Avani Hotels & Resorts in Asia  AirAsia Unveils Special Tribute Livery Dedicated to Datuk Irene Benggon Charuruks  IndiGo Launches Flights Between Hyderabad and Gondia, Maharashtra  South Korea's Flight Inspection Services Center Takes Delivery of First Praetor 600 Aircraft  Michael Gnaegi Joins Chatrium Grand Bangkok as General Manager  IHG Opens InterContinental Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 59 in Bangkok, Thailand  Qatar Airways Celebrates 20 Years of Flying DOH-SIN with Special Business Class Menu by Chef Ton  Dusit Signs First Hotel in Malaysia  Minor Hotels Signs Luxurious Tented Camp on Banks of Kafue River in Western Zambia  Turkish and Vietnam Airlines to Research Air Cargo Joint Venture  Dorsett Hospitality Appoints Harmesh Singh as GM of Two Hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Porter Airlines Exercises Options on 25 More E195-E2 Jets  Michael Henssler Joins Centara as Chief Operating Officer  Perth, Australia Confirmed as Host of Routes Asia 2025  Airbus Forecasts Commercial Aircraft Services Market to Nearly Double in Value by 2042  Renaissance Hotel Opens in Harlem, New York  Swiss Deploys SITA eWAS Across Entire Fleet  CentralPlaza Rattanathibet's Major Redevelopment to Include a Hotel and Condo  Craig Bond Returns to Pan Pacific as Senior Vice President and Head of Operations  Korean Air Cargo Signs SAF-Related MOU with LX Pantos  Plaza Premium Opening Three Lounges at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport in China  Hi Fly Expands Fleet with Two Widebody Aircraft  Significant Increase in AirAsia Malaysia Flights to China and India  New Airport in Uttar Pradesh, India Confirms IndiGo as Launch Carrier  Sandie Johannessen Joins Minor Hotels as Group Director of Spa and Wellness - Asia  Thai Airways Signs SAF-Related MOU with PTT Oil and Retail Business  Earn Tier Points with Every Spend on British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card  Yotel's First Hotel in Malaysia to Open in Summer 2025  Hong Kong Airport Reports October 2023 Passenger and Cargo Traffic  General Manager Appointments at Anantara Hotels in France and Portugal  SITA Partners Versa for New Connect Go Solution  SalamAir to Launch Flights from Muscat to Five Cities in India  AirAsia X to Launch Direct Flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan  Pegasus Airlines Adopts Three SkyBreathe Solutions  Ungasan, Bali Home to Hilton's First LXR Resort in South East Asia  Electra's EL-2 Goldfinch eSTOL Aircraft Completes First Test Flights  WTTC Appoints Gloria Fluxà as Vice-Chair and Sustainability Committee Chair  Onyx Hospitality Signs Second Amari Hotel in Laos  TransNusa Launches Jakarta - Singapore and Jakarta - Guangzhou Flights  SriLankan Airlines Appoints APG as Passenger GSA in Ireland  SITA to Upgrade Qatar Airways' Global Network Infrastructure  Embraer Defense & Security Appoints José Gustavo as VP Sales & Business Development  AirAsia Malaysia to Launch Flights Between Kuala Lumpur and Perth, Australia  Korean Air Appoints Hoyeon (Chris) Chang as Country Manager for Cambodia  IHG Signs New-Build InterContinental Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia  Chen Thipvarodom Appointed GM of Centara's New Hotel in Ayutthaya, Thailand  St. Regis Hotel Opens in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  Thai Airways Partners Jim Thompson for New Royal Silk Amenity Kits  E190-E2 and E195-E2 Receive Type Certification from Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore  Oman Air Takes Delivery of First Dedicated Cargo Aircraft  United Airlines Confirms Tulum Airport (TQO) Flight Schedule  Queen Elizabeth 2 Floating Hotel Celebrates 15 Years in Dubai with Promotion  El Nido Resorts in Philippines to Close for Major Renovations - Exclusive Video Interview with GDOSM  Tourism Pahang, Malaysia - Interview with Uzaidi Bin Udanis at World Travel Market 2023 in London  Travel Trade Show to Take Over Major Football Stadium in Brazil - Exclusive Video Interview with ABAV  Sabre Hospitality Solutions Interview with Frank Trampert, SVP and Global MD Commercial  Exclusive HD Video Interviews with VIPs at World Travel Market 2023 in London, England  Diethelm Travel Rebrands as DTH Travel at WTM - Interview with Stephan Roemer, Partner and Group CEO  Sabre Travel Solutions - Lodging, Ground & Sea - Interview with Chinmai Sharma, Global Head, at WTMLDN  Goa Tourism (India) - HD Video Interview with Rohan A. Khaunte, Minister for Tourism at WTMLDN  Browns Hotels & Resorts in Sri Lanka - HD Video Interview with Eksath Wijeratne, CEO, at WTMLDN  IHG Signs Two Luxury Hotels in Chiang Rai, Thailand  Uttar Pradesh (India) Tourism - Interview with Prateek Hira, President & CEO of Tornos  Karnataka Tourism (India) - Interview with H.T. Ratnakar, Adviser - Tourism and Hospitality, Govt. of Karnataka  Madhya Pradesh Tourism (India) - Interview with Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary Culture & Tourism  Rajasthan Tourism (India) - Interview with Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Director - Department of Tourism  Arabian Camp, Saudi Arabia - HD Video Interview with Khalid Khafagy, Founder, at WTM 2023  airBaltic Orders 30 More Airbus A220-300 Aircraft  Two Senior Appointments at Ascott  SIA Group Aiming for SAF to Replace 5% of Fuel Requirements by 2030  Eve Signs MOU with NATS to Develop Urban Air Mobility Traffic Management Services  Avion Express Appoints Rolanda Lipneviciute as Head of Communications  Urban Air Mobility and eVTOL - HD Video Interview with Yannick Assouad, EVP Avionics, Thales  Sandrine de Saint Sauveur, President and CEO of APG - Interview at APG World Connect 2023  Seville to Host Routes Europe 2025 Forum  Rolls-Royce Completes 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Test Programme  HD Video Interviews from APG World Connect 2023 in Monaco, France  Dusit Signs Four Princess Hotels in Karnataka, India  Air Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Hotels / Tourism Interview with Michel Monvoisin, Chairman and CEO  TAAG Angola Airlines - HD Video Interview with Nowell Ngala, Chief Commercial Officer  Sabre Signs Multi-Solution Agreement with Taipei-Based Travel Agency  Minor Signs First Three Hotels in Paris, France  Sabre Travel Solutions Appoints Chinmai Sharma as Global Head - Lodging, Ground & Sea  APG World Connect 2023 in Monaco, France - Interview with Jean-Louis Baroux, President  SAS Resumes Flights Between Copenhagen and Bangkok, Thailand After 10-Year Hiatus  Air Astana Increases Flights to Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Jeddah and Phuket  Langham Signs 10th Luxury Hotel in China's Greater Bay Area  Sabre's NDC Solutions to Power Virgin Australia's Retailing Evolution  Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 23.7 Million International Passengers in September  Korean Air Orders 20 Airbus A321neo Aircraft  15 Exclusive Video Interviews from Routes World 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye  Electric Airport Taxis at Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan - Video Interview with Co-Founder  Pictures from Miss International Queen 2023 Transgender Beauty Pageant in Pattaya, Thailand  Exclusive Video Interviews with 17 Miss International Queen 2023 Contestants  Living With One Eye - Six Years On by Steven Howard  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  RSS Feed - Travel Industry News  Ticker - Travel Industry News  Travel Industry News Archives  Travel Trade Shows  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News 

Subscribe to our Travel Industry News RSS Feed Travel Industry News RSS Feed from TravelNewsAsia.com. To do that in Outlook, right-click the RSS Feeds folder, select Add a New RSS Feed, enter the URL of our RSS Feed which is: https://www.travelnewsasia.com/travelnews.xml and click Add. The feed can also be used to add the headlines to your website or channel via a customisable applet. Have questions? Please read our Travel News FAQ. Thank you.

     
Advertising
Advertising
Copyright © 1997-2023 TravelNewsAsia.com