IATA’s director-general, Alexandre de Juniac has said that the airline association is not requesting vaccination as a requirement to fly.
De Juniac made this known today in an online briefing, he said: “We don’t believe that vaccines should be a requirement to fly. But if the EU does implement a vaccine mandate there must be a common standard for this across the EU.”
“It is governments that will decide what travelers need to enter their country, not the airlines, There are significant populations who cannot or will not be vaccinated. As practicality, we are preparing for governments to use a combination of testing and vaccination to re-open borders.” He added.
De Juniac stated further that the IATA Travel Pass is “not a vaccine passport” and that it would hold test data for now. He added that “It can accommodate vaccine data, should governments require it.”
De Juniac believed that the solution to health certification is not going to be paper-based.
“We need a digital solution to manage health requirements. Paper can be a back-up. But unless we can get the majority of travelers processed electronically, we will not be able to handle a ramp-up of activity. Traditional check-in with paper documentation can be an option, but it cannot be the main way of operating.” Adding that standardization is desperately needed.
"Temporarily, while volumes are low, we can accommodate digital certificates issued by governments that want an early start. But long-term a global standard will give passengers and governments the greatest confidence and deliver the greatest efficiency." De Juniac said.
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