The UK NHS COVID Pass and EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) can now be uploaded into IATA Travel Pass as verified proof of vaccination for travel.
Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Operations Safety and Security, said it was “an important step forward, providing convenience for travellers, authenticity for governments and efficiency for airlines”.
IATA said the harmonisation of digital vaccine standards is essential to support the “safe and scalable restart of aviation, avoid unnecessary airport queues and ensure a smooth passenger experience”.
It urged the World Health Organisation to revisit its work to develop a global digital vaccine standard.
“The absence of a global standard makes it much harder for airlines, border authorities and governments to recognise and verify a traveller’s digital vaccination certificate,” said Careen
“The industry is working around this by developing solutions that can recognise and verify certificates from individual countries. But this is a slow process that is hampering the restart of international travel.
“As more states roll out their vaccination programmes, many are urgently looking to implement technical solutions to provide vaccine certification for their citizens when they travel.
“In the absence of a WHO standard, IATA urges them to look closely at the EU DCC as a proven solution that meets WHO guidance and can help to reconnect the world.”
