Panama to trial IATA travel pass

Panama city

Panama is the first government to participate in a trial of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass, which aims to re-establish global connectivity while managing the risks of Covid-19

IATA is partnering with the government of the Republic of Panama and Copa Airlines to trial the digital travel pass. Copa Airlines will be the first carrier in the Americas to trial the IATA pass.

Using the IATA Travel Pass, Copa Airlines passengers will be able to create a ‘digital passport’. This will allow passengers to match their travel itineraries with the Covid-19 health requirements of their destination and validate that they are in compliance with them. The initial trial phase is expected to begin in March on select flights from Copa’s Hub of the Americas in Panama City.

Dan Gunn, Copa’s Senior Vice-President for Operations, said: “The IATA Travel Pass will simplify and enhance compliance with health requirements for our passengers. An international standard solution for digital health passports such as IATA Travel Pass holds the key to the safe restart of the travel and tourism industry, which is an important contributor to Panama’s and Latin America’s economy.”

Allowing tourists to comply with health requirements

Ivan Eskildsen, Administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority, added: “The Government of Panama supports the implementation of this important tool developed by IATA that, through its integration with different stakeholders, will allow passengers to comply with our health requirements, thus restoring confidence in travel and tourism, important pillars for the country’s economic recovery.”

In addition to checking travel requirements, IATA Travel Pass will also include a registry of testing and eventually vaccination centres – making it more convenient for passengers to find testing centres and labs at their departure location that meet the standards for testing and vaccination requirements of their destination.

The platform will also enable authorised labs and test centres to securely send test results or vaccination certificates to passengers. This will manage and allow the secure flow of necessary information amongst all stakeholders and hopefully provide a seamless passenger experience.