Air Serbia will become one of the first airlines in the world to start testing the IATA digital passport (IATA Travel Pass) in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as of next month. The mobile application is aimed at restarting air travel and reopening borders without quarantine requirements. It will inform passengers on what tests, vaccines and other measures they require prior to travel, details on where they can get tested and give them the ability to share their tests and vaccination results in a verifiable, safe and privacy-protecting manner. The Belgrade-based Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Serums "Torlak" is also working jointly with IATA in order to successfully trial the program. The Travel Pass will initially be trialled from April on flights between Belgrade and Zurich. It will last several weeks and passengers will be invited to participate.
In addition to Air Serbia, the digital passport is being tested by Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Gulf Air, ANA, Rwand Air, Copa Airlines, IAG group airlines and airBaltic. “We are proud to be among the first in the world to test the digital passport. Once again, we have confirmed our dedication to protecting the safety, health and well-being of passengers, as well as to creating an integrated and seamless user experience”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Duncan Naysmith, said. He added, “This innovative IATA solution is an extraordinary initiative, which will provide passengers with the certainty that they meet all necessary requirements to enter different parts of the world. We owe great gratitude to the Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Serums "Torlak" from Belgrade. They will be directly connected with IATA and without their support and collaboration this pilot project would not be possible”.
The IATA Travel Pass is a global and standardised solution to validate and authenticate all country regulations regarding Covid-19 passenger travel requirements. The main priority is to get people traveling again safely. In the immediate term that means establishing confidence in governments that systematic pre-departure Covid-19 testing can work as a replacement for quarantine requirements. That will eventually develop into a vaccine program. Serbia leads Europe in its vaccination per one million citizens and has the highest rate of people per one million vaccinated with a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on the continent. Air Serbia’s passengers will have the opportunity to easily and simply create their digital passport. After testing and/or vaccination, national reference laboratories will send protected information into the user’s app in a safe manner. IATA Travel Pass will then compare the necessary requirements for travel with the input user data, and all who meet the conditions for their desired destination will get a green light for travel. The application, as a safe place for storing health information, will not only accelerate the check-in process for flights, but will also create the potential for contactless travel in the future.
Commenting on the development, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe, Rafael Schvartzman, said, “We’re proud to work with Air Serbia and make the IATA Travel Pass available in Europe. This is the first step in making European and international travel during the pandemic as convenient as possible giving people the confidence that they are meeting all Covid-19 entry requirements by governments. As borders re-open, IATA Travel Pass will be further enhanced with more capabilities to meet all governments testing or vaccination verification requirements and Air Serbia’s customers will be among the first to have these services”.
wow nice to see Air Serbia part of this so early.
ReplyDeleteHope this can help JU.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia seems to be in good company among those airlines.
ReplyDeleteSMFH.
DeleteWhy are you shaking your fist? What's the problem with the comment? It's one of the first airlines to trial this technology isn't it? Why is that problematic to you?
DeleteYou should get used to mr notorious, he always comes with the same comment.
DeleteWonder if they managed to do this thanks to Etihad or it was a self initiative.
DeleteAlone, EY has been out of the picture for over two years now.
DeleteThere are an awful lot of people that don't have smart phones.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean, no smart phone, no app, no travel?
Exactly. As always the assumption that everyone has a smartphone. Provide a viable alternative.
DeleteApp or no app you still get a paper confirmation after the first dose and a final paper certificate after the second dose. So instead of the certificate being in the app, the check in agent will be verifying all the info.
DeleteMy friend few weeks ago came from NL with forged PCR test (negative). Check in agent and the clerk in BEG just looked in the paper for a while with all seriousness they could gather on their faces and said "All good" and let her. The same happened on her way back. My point is those papers can easily be forged and people who are suppose to control have no idea how to do that.
DeleteGood! Yep. No more running around with bits of paper slowing everyone down.
ReplyDeleteGood job Air Serbia,
ReplyDeleteAnd a week after this goes live, fake hacked versions will be available.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea the most sensible yet
ReplyDeleteWe have to get away from any idea that we need to prove that we have been vaxed or tested, and get back to normality. Covid is now with us possibly for ever, and as long as there are efforts to contain local outbreaks and improve survival rates we need to view it as just another risk in life!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree.
DeleteOtherwise we are creating a totalitarian regime that will segragete society in two. Those who are vaccinated and those who are not.
Fully agree. But most people don't realize such simple principles. And don't want to think for themselves but to rely on mainstream information no matter how illogical they are.
DeleteThey all believed (most still believe) that vaccines would save us and that covid passports would save tourism and aviation sectors. The simple fact that number of infections and deaths increased in almost every country after massive vaccination started doesn't matter to them at all.
BR,
Dejan
It is all great until you or someone around you get infected with heavy symptoms. I was in touch with several anti vaccers who eventually got sick with heavy symptoms. They changed their mind instantly. I support slogan no vaccine, no travel.
DeleteYou just approved what I wrote, the simple fact that actually number of infections and deaths increased almost instantly wherever massive vaccination started doesn't mean anything to sheeple like you. As well as the fact that in Serbia, for instance, there were more than 10.7 k additional non-covid deaths (officially!) comparing to the previous year. And imagine, no one even talk about it, no info about that in any mainstream media (including so-called independent ones), simply no one care. So much about life saving measures, about compassion and care for human lives. And obviously you also don't care. What you care about are totalitarian measures. And I am very glad that we are not in the same campus. For the end just to add the following - no matter how me and my family love traveling, we will not allow anyone to blackmail and humiliate us with covid passports, PCR tests, antibody tests or anything similar. You know, there is something called human dignity. Or you still don't know...
DeleteIf you believe you're at risk, you should self-isolate, not travel, wear a mask in toilet, but not forcing other to do the same.
DeleteI think this pretty much sums it up.
Deletehttps://noizz.rs/kontra/rambo-amadeus-o-koroni/2dvzjbd
Insightful and witty observations from Rambo as usual, thank you for the link.
Delete+1
DeleteLOL, just as I suspected, this place is swarming with antivaxers.
Deletego check isreal hospitalization rates
Oh dear strong muscles man, what about infections and deaths rate in Israel? I know these are much less important than hospitalization rate but still - https://www.sott.net/article/449710-Hot-off-the-press-Pfizer-CEO-Albert-Bourla-admits-Israel-is-the-worlds-lab
DeleteAnd please don't waste your time writing worn-out phrases like anti vaxer or similar. I admit, I am anti vaxer, conspiracy theorist, traitor and everything bad your brain can imagine.
Instead of the 'digital passport' it would be a lot more useful if PCR tests pricing were brought down to reasonable levels.
ReplyDeleteAt near 200$ for foreigners and 100$ for Serbian citizens (who paid for those tests through their own taxes!) it makes the already limited travel exorbitant, especially for families.
Now a four member family needs 800$ in order to leave Serbia.
That's the kind of profiteering that needs to be put in check.
Fully agree on this as well!
DeleteIn order to leave Serbia? Serbia does not require a PCR test for anyone to leave. Those four foreigners whose own country requires PCR tests to let them in should be reaching out to their own government and asking why they need a test to begin with or why they can't do it upon landing at the point of entry (assuming the PCR test in their country is cheaper than in Serbia).
DeleteEspecially taking into account that those tests per se cost less than 10$.
DeleteFour foreigners? Are you joking? As someone that has to travel a lot for work and have done over 30 PCR tests since last summer, I am asking you to go to a testing site in Belgrade (that is not a hospital) and you will see most people standing in line are foreigners. Serbia is considered a "high risk" country by all of the EU and requires you to have a PCR test before you come, no matter if you are a citizen of the country you are going to. Places like the Netherlands requires you a PCR test plus an antigen test conducted maximum 4 hours before your flight.
Delete@09:13 - very well said. Just shows how this is pure business.
Delete@Anon 10:12 - PCR test is upwards of USD 200. The cheek swab (which is not accepted anywhere in the EU) is USD 10. I've had multiple peeps from the States get rejected at EU borders as they did the cheapo swab test.
DeleteNope, the purchase cost of the PCR test kit is roughly 10$.
DeleteThe swab might be 1-2 dollar.
Austria is charging EUR 120, just saying.
DeleteBelarus is charging 13$ dollars for their own citizens and 21$ for foreigners.
DeleteTesting at the Minsk airport in under three hours.
Health insurance of a US citizen earning 500k/year does not cover a PCR test and it's an out of pocket expense of USD 230. I just checked. So where are you getting this USD 10 info?
DeleteIn most of countries outside the West and Europe PCR tests range between 10-20$.
Deletehttps://www.danas.rs/drustvo/zasto-je-vlada-povecala-cenu-pcr-testa-za-srpske-drzavljane-na-9-000-dinara/
Some people either pretend to be stupid or really are. The same as Nike shoes are produced in Indonesia or Vietnam for 10 dollars per pair and sold for 100. Absolutely the same thing with PCR test. From the first day I speak corona is fraud. And it is. ZERO flu cases in Croatia this season. Official information. Probably elsewhere as well. Just showing flu virus is modified and deliberately let out to create mess we have today. Rambo Amadeus is completely right about causes why the virus is let go. In addition to all he said, I think the goals are new billions for the most rich which will buy or have already bought the most valuable assets which were temporary made worthless, because of "pandemic", billions of workers accepting worse working conditions and smaller earnings (look at aviation first) as another way of making rich richer, enormous profit of pharmaceutical industries, getting rid of good part of the oldest and most sick who cost the most and so on and so on. Long time ago, one very clever person I knew, told me :"I am very happy Berlin Wall felt today. I am just little bit sad it felt the wrong side." At that time, I was very young, and didn't fully understand. But today, I am aware this "pandemic" and daily continuous media terror about it are just the consequences of the wrong side of the wall and "new world order"
DeleteThat's one long paragraph man.
DeleteWell, they count on those not fond of long readings. And succeeding obviously
DeleteIATA can plan what they like.
ReplyDeleteAllowing quarantine free travel is down to national governments.
Until all countries get a vaccine rollout program completed it will be difficult. B
Its a step in the right direction. IATA acts as the coordinator between various governments.
DeleteJU ponovo brzo reaguje i ne prepušta ništa slučaju.
ReplyDeleteBravo. Vučić sinoć u Abu Dabiju najavio važne razgovore o ErSrbiji sa princom Muhamedom,nadam se još boljim vestima za JU.
It's good to see JU reacting quickly again.
ReplyDeleteAny particular reason they chose Zurich route to test this on?
ReplyDeleteIt's the single biggest market from BEG. It also helps that Switzerland is an organized country so it helps.
DeleteWonder what routes this will be rolled out to next.
DeleteMy guess is AMS, CDG, ATH, SKG, IST, ZAG, TGD, TIV and TIA.
DeleteSmart move from Air Serbia and it would about the time for the EU to hurry up on the digital travel passport as people in Europe are loosing their patience with the current situation.
ReplyDeletePCR tests, rapid tests, masks and so on: what a lucrative business this so-called pandemic is for many.
It's a good sign that Torlak is involved.
ReplyDelete25.7% of the Serbian population received the first dose of vaccine. That's a pretty respectable number especially when you compare it to some other countries like France, Germany, Italy... which did not vaccinate 10% of their population. I think it's this high rate of vaccination that prevented numbers from going to 8.000 new cases each day like it was the case last year. Now they are between 3.500 and 4.500 each day.
ReplyDeleteThis means that Serbian holidaymakers will become a rather attractive commodity. As always the biggest winners from this will be Greece and Turkey which are some of the biggest experts in tourism.
Greece opens from 14.05.2021!
DeleteFunny you turn the increasting number of infections into a win
DeleteIt is a win because without any major restrictions number of infections on a daily basis did not go to the level it was during the pre-vaccination waves. No need to start hating on my comment just because you don't like facts my friend.
DeleteThis will eventually lead to only vaccinated people being able to travel.
ReplyDeleteIt is illegal to prevent travel due to a lack of testing or vaccination. That is contrary to the human rights act.
DeleteUmm, no. Even before covid you had to be vaccinated for certain diseases to travel to certain countries.
DeleteLife threatening diseases, yes. COVID is not it. They will require vaccine certificate or a negative PCR test.
DeleteAnonymous09:31,
DeleteBuddy, going to certain African countries know for malaria and having the proof that you got the vaccine is one thing, but this is totally different. You can restrict movement to people!
It is in the charter of human rights that UN wrote 75 years go
Meant to say "you can not" prevent movement of people
DeleteI was always under the impression this app would be used by everyone and not just passengers of a certain airline on certain routes.
ReplyDeleteIt's being used on certain routes because it is still in the trial phase.
DeleteVaccination and international vaccine passports are our only way back from collapse as an industry.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it seems so.
Deletewell i hope the App works! Also that the border officials accept the results
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't they accept it?
DeleteI mean this is a much more safer way of storing information. It means you can't forge the results.
DeleteTrue. In last 2 weeks 37 people have been arrested at BEG for having fake covid tests. All of them used by Turkish citizens.
DeleteExcellent!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's go go go!!!!!!
But how will this app allow Serbian citizens to enter the EU again?
ReplyDeleteIt won't. read the article so you can understand its purpose.
DeleteIATA is working with various governments to make these passports to work. So it is expected that eventually Serbian citizens using this app will be able to enter the EU.
DeleteWell I am going to congratulate Air Serbia on getting on board this project and doing something useful to get the air travel industry going again.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteVery smart, AirSERBIA...Leading the way among the Balkan airlines as always...
ReplyDelete"IATA Travel Pass will then compare the necessary requirements for travel with the input user data, and all who meet the conditions for their desired destination will get a green light for travel. "
ReplyDeleteThe only issue for us Serbian citizens is that if you want to travel to the EU, you can have whatever document, they simply won't allow you.
This is slowly changing now. Plus you can enter Bulgaria which is in the EU.
DeleteHow is it changing? Bulgaria is the only country you can enter which has been the case for some time.
DeleteIt's funny, the other day Serbian President and Prime Minister were all hot and bothered about Digital Passports. Two days later Air Serbia announces it is going to use them.
ReplyDeleteThese things can't be introduced overnight. They take months of planning and JU was not doing it because the government wanted it.
DeleteEveryone needs a safe and smooth journey.
ReplyDeleteIs the app free?
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteVaffa 'n culo with IATA and all quarantine measures! We want our lives back!!!
ReplyDeleteWon't happen any time soon. As we've been told for a year now, it's the "New Normal"
DeleteWhat does IATA have to do with travel restrictions?
Deletego get vaccinated, i have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you
DeleteGood work Air Serbia. Wish Croatia Airlines would get its act together and do the same.
ReplyDeleteGood joke. Maybe you should have included Imunoloski Zavod as well.
DeleteThe sooner the better.
ReplyDeleteFor those that are interested and have the time, you can watch this video that explains how the digital passport works
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3otZ63wFw&t=3s
It is actually a very handy app which will enable air travel to resume in greater volume. I recommend for people to watch the video.
DeleteThere are also counter arguments against these passports
ReplyDeletehttps://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/the-dangerous-illusions-of-an-eu-vaccine-passport/
Wow rhis news of Air Serbia using covid passport has even been reported by Reuteurs.
ReplyDeleteKudos to JU! I cannot stop but wondering - why aren't AF-K, LHG airlines, TK and the major European LCCs part of this intitiative? Any hints anyone? Would they be using some other apps/programs or...?
ReplyDeleteThese are huge systems where implementing any change costs hundreds of thousands of Euros. They're waiting to see how it's going to pan out before taking any action.
DeleteI see that Qatar Airways today started trial of this IATA digital passport on Istanbul route. I wonder, because Serbia is also involved, whether we will see it rolled on Doha-Belgrade route.
ReplyDelete