IATA Tells Governments to Introduce Digital Processes For Travel Health Credentials.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has advised governments to accept digital methods for travel health credentials and other COVID-19 measures, in order to avoid disorder at the airports when passenger numbers begin to increase.

IATA  warns of the likely airport problems, saying that governments should take quick action by introducing digital processes to manage passenger travel health credentials (COVID-19 testing and vaccine certificates and other measures).

IATA pointed that, the impacts will be severe if governments fail to introduce digital processes.

passengers, on a regular basis, spend around two hours during travel processes for every journey during check-in, security, border control, customs, and luggage claim.

Current data shows that airport processing times have increased to more than three hours throughout with travel volumes at only 30 per cent of pre-COVID-19 levels. The highest increases are at the check-in and border control, where travel health credentials are being checked mostly as daily documents.

The time being spent by the passengers at the airport may further increase if governments fail to step in and this will unarguably discourage international travel by the time we should begin to experience high traffic.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said “Without an automated solution for COVID-19 checks, we can see the potential for significant airport disruptions on the horizon. Already, average passenger processing and waiting times have doubled from what they were pre-pandemic during peak time – reaching an unacceptable three hours – and that is with many airports deploying pre-crisis level staffing for a small fraction of pre-crisis volumes. Nobody will tolerate waiting hours at check-in or for border formalities." 

"We must automate the checking of vaccine and test certificates before traffic ramps up. Technical solutions exist. But governments must agree on digital certificate standards and align processes to accept them, and they must act fast.” Walsh stated.

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