Two Taiwanese airlines say they will take part in trials of an international travel pass scheme to ensure public health. This digital pass would show passengers’ history of COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. The two airlines, China Airlines and EVA Air, announced their intention to join the initiative on Tuesday.
The travel pass is a new scheme from the International Air Transport Association, a trade organization whose membership includes most of the world’s major airlines.
The scheme, officially known as the IATA Travel Pass, is based on a mobile application that passengers can download before boarding. The association says passengers can upload government-approved COVID-19 tests and vaccine certificates onto the app to facilitate speedy boarding.
China Airlines, which is Taiwan’s national carrier, says it will start accepting the travel pass starting August 30. It says it will first test out the travel pass on its flights between Taiwan and eight major airline hubs. Those include Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, New York, Vancouver, Frankfurt, London and Singapore.
Meanwhile, EVA Air says it will begin accepting the pass in September on flights between Paris and Taipei.
The two airlines say the pass will speed up the check-in process and reduce the risk of infection for airline staff and passengers alike.