IATA's COVID-19 Travel Pass App Will Arrive On iPhone Next Month

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine and test results 'travel pass' app will arrive for iPhone next month. The app, assuming the travel industry adopts it in any significant way, will provide an alternative to carrying around paper vaccination cards and test results when traveling or visiting venues that require documentation.

A number of countries, travel companies, and venues like stadiums are requiring proof that visitors and travelers have either been fully vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus or have tested negative for the virus. At this point in time, that proof largely comes in the form of carrying around paper copies of your test results or vaccination records card.

This is, of course, quite archaic and inconvenient — and all signs point toward a switch to digital platforms in the near future. IATA is one of the entities working on a digital COVID-19 'passport' app that will enable travelers to show proof of vaccination or test results using the phone they already carry around daily.

The IATA details its travel pass app on its website, explaining that its offering will help users find COVID-19 details about their upcoming travel, including testing and vaccine requirements. As well, the app will help users find testing centers in the locations where they're traveling and will allow those authorized centers to share the results with the passengers using the app.

Travelers will then be able to use the app to prove that they're been tested/vaccinated, when necessary, streamlining a process that is still quite cumbersome and time-consuming. According to Reuters, IATA plans to launch the app for iPhone users on or around April 15 with an Android version coming later on.

A number of airlines plan to trial the IATA Travel Pass app, including Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and Hong Kong Airlines.