IATA Signs Deal to Boost Travel with Covid-19 Testing

Photo Source: IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Friday announced an agreement with Eurofins to incorporate its worldwide Covid-19 testing network into IATA Travel Pass app. Eurofins is a leader in bio-analytical testing with 800 laboratories across 50 countries.

As part of the partnership, Eurofins’ dedicated Covid-19 portfolio encompassing multiple test types and hundreds of Covid-19 sampling stations globally will be made available through the IATA Travel Pass.

As part of the IATA Travel Pass initiative, Eurofins laboratories will provide secure, verified test results to travelers using the app with coronavirus testing already a requirement for most international travel.

“Verified testing is the immediate solution to give governments the confidence to open their borders to travelers. IATA Travel Pass aims to make it as simple as possible for travelers to locate certified laboratories and securely receive the test results that governments require,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said.

Results will be checked against the IATA Travel Pass registry of national entry requirements to produce an “OK to Travel” status. Through the app passengers can share their status and the digital test certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel.

Trials of IATA Travel Pass incorporating the global Eurofins network are expected to begin with airlines piloting IATA Travel Pass across multiple regions in the coming weeks.

According to Walsh, IATA’s partnership with Eurofins is another mark of quality for IATA Travel Pass which is being built to the highest data security and privacy standards.

“Adding the extensive Eurofins network to the initiative will help travelers more conveniently adjust their travel preparations to meet the Covid-19 requirements,” Walsh added.

IATA Travel Pass provides the infrastructure needed to securely manage, share and verify test data matched with traveler identities in compliance with border control requirements. It will help travelers manage these new processes starting with understanding the requirements to travel and helping them identify labs, such as Eurofins, which are certified do to the testing.