Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
Panama is the first country to participate in the IATA Travel Pass project. This move will help rebuild ties between governments and work together to manage the risk of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.
Copa Airlines is the first airline on the American continent to pilot IATA Travel Pass.
Copa Airlines passengers can create a "digital passport" with IATA Travel Pass. Passengers can match their travel itinerary with the destination's covid health requirements and verify that they meet these requirements. The preliminary test phase is expected to begin in March and will be used on some of Copa Airlines' flights departing from its hub for the Americas in Panama City.
Dan Gunn, Senior Vice President of Operations of Copa Airlines, said: "Copa Airlines is very honored to be one of the pioneers in implementing the IATA Travel Pass in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association and the Panamanian government. IATA Travel Pass is simplified to help travelers better meet the government’s health requirements. International standard solutions for digital health passports such as IATA Travel Pass are the key to the safe restart of the travel and tourism industry, which is an important contribution to the economy of Panama and Latin America."
"The Panamanian government supports the implementation of this important tool developed by the International Air Transport Association. Tourism is an important pillar of our country’s economic recovery. This tool integrates the information needs of different stakeholders and enables passengers to meet our health requirements, thereby restoring the need for travel and confidence in the tourism industry.” said Ivan Eskildsen, director of the Panama Tourism Bureau.
"The IATA Travel Pass project is advancing rapidly. The cooperation with Copa Airlines is the first experiment in the Americas region and will provide valuable opinions and feedback on improving the Travel Pass program. This is an important step in realizing international travel under the shadow of the global epidemic. Passengers are confident that they can meet the government's relevant entry requirements. We are honored to cooperate with Copa Airlines and the Panamanian government to conduct this vital test." IATA Senior Vice President of Airports, Passengers, Cargo and Security, Nick · Careen emphasized.
Mr. Peter Cerdá, Vice President of IATA Americas, said, "Aviation is a pillar industry in many economies in the American continent. The epidemic crisis has caused the aviation industry to stagnate and unemployment has surged, accounting for the largest proportion of unemployed people in the entire region. IATA Travel Pass helps governments ensure that travelers have complied with health requirements, thereby enabling the aviation industry The region’s economy can be connected to each other and re-established with the world. Copa Airlines’ extensive network in the region and Panama’s strategic location make it an ideal partner for testing IATA Travel Pass."
In addition to checking travel requirements, the IATA Travel Pass will also include registration information for testing and final vaccination centers-travelers can more easily find test centers and laboratories that meet the destination virus testing and vaccination requirements at the point of departure.
IATA Travel Pass helps authorized laboratories and virus testing centers to securely send virus test results or vaccination certificates to passengers, so that important information can flow safely and managed among all stakeholders, providing a seamless passenger experience.
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