PAL to trial IATA Travel Pass

Aviation Updates Philippines – National flag carrier Philippine Airlines on Friday announced it will trial the implementation of the IATA Travel Pass on select international flights beginning May 4, 2021, onward.

Photo from Philippine Airlines

The flag carrier said passengers, who will be flying from Manila to Singapore and Los Angeles, will be able to participate in the IATA Travel Pass trials in select dates.

Flight Date	Flight Number	Route
May 4, 2021	PR 102	Manila -  Los Angeles
May 6, 2021	PR 507	Manila -  Singapore
May 9, 2021	PR 102	Manila -  Los Angeles
May 13, 2021	PR 507	Manila -  Singapore
May 16-June 5, 2021	PR 102 and PR 112	Manila -  Los Angeles
May 16-June 5, 2021	PR 507 and PR 501	Manila -  Singapore

PAL President and COO Gilbert F. Santa Maria said, “We want to make it simple for our customers to travel safely. The IATA Travel Pass will help them verify that they comply with health rules and COVID test requirements, so they can board our flights with assurance and confidence.”

“Restarting international aviation safely has been at the forefront of IATA’s Travel Pass initiative. We are proud to partner with Philippines Airlines – the first airline in the Philippines – to trial the app and demonstrate that this technology can securely, conveniently and efficiently help manage passenger travel health credentials,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Airport, Passenger, Cargo, Security.

The IATA Travel Pass is a global-standard mobile app that validates and authenticates regulations of all countries on passenger health requirements for travel. The digital health application will enable a passenger to create a digital ID based on standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The app will be available for iOS and Android users. Once downloaded, the IATA Travel Pass app allows travelers to upload their passport for digital biometrics.

During the trial, PAL passengers will also be able to add their itinerary in the app and review health rules and regulations of their destination, especially on the required COVID-19 testing before their departure.

The Travel Pass also enables partner and accredited COVID-19 testing centers to upload laboratory test results on the app. One of the flag carrier’s testing partners, Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, will be accredited by IATA during the trial to upload test results on the said app.

Passengers can then receive verified test results and a confirmation that they meet all health requirements for the destination. Using the Travel Pass will also fast-track the airport check-in process, reduce passenger congestion at the airport, and ensure seamless onward travel.

PAL joins 27 participating airlines from 25 countries in conducting trial runs for the new Travel Pass technology. In addition to the selected Los Angeles and Singapore routes, PAL currently operates flights to other cities in the U.S., Canada, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.