Passengers travelling to Singapore by air will be able to use the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass from 1 May 2021, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has confirmed.

Following successful trials by Singapore Airlines, the Singapore health and border control authorities will accept the IATA Travel Pass as a valid form of presentation of Covid-19 pre-departure test results for entry into Singapore.

The IATA Travel Pass is a personal secure digital wallet solution that can be used by passengers to obtain and store their Covid-19 test results from accredited laboratories.

Information presented on the IATA Travel Pass will be in a format that satisfies Singapore’s prevailing Covid-19 pre-departure test requirements for entry into the country.

Passengers will be able to share pre-departure Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test results with their airline at check-in and on arrival at Changi Airport immigration checkpoints.

CAAS AND IATA COLLABORATION

The acceptance of the IATA Travel pass in Singapore is part of an ongoing collaboration between the CAAS and IATA to facilitate seamless and efficient travel through digital certificates of Covid-19 tests.

According to the CAAS, such solutions will help drive adoption of digital health certificates and facilitate the secure verification of travellers’ health credentials.

CAAS and IATA will be working on further enhancements to the IATA Travel Pass. These include enabling QR code scanning by immigration officers and back-end transmission of health credentials from the IATA Travel Pass to the airlines’ and immigration authorities’ systems for pre-boarding and pre-arrival clearance.

Enhancements also include digital vaccination certificates within the IATA Travel Pass.

CAAS Director-General Kevin Shum said: “We have built upon our long-standing and deep partnership with IATA to develop solutions to facilitate travel. This latest collaboration with IATA demonstrates our shared commitment to drive the adoption of digital health certificates and restore international air travel.

“As we work to safely rebuild the Changi air hub, we will continue to explore other solutions that can provide similarly secure and verifiable means of sharing health certificates for safe international travel.”

Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA commented: “Having the confidence of an aviation leader like Singapore in IATA Travel Pass is hugely significant. Ongoing trials put us on track for IATA Travel Pass to be a critical tool for the industry’s restart by delivering verified travel health credentials to governments.

“And travellers can have complete confidence that their personal data is secure and under their own control. The success of our joint efforts will make IATA’s partnership with the government of Singapore a model for others to follow.”

The IATA Travel Pass app will be available for download in the second half of April. It is being trialled by more than 20 airlines, including Singapore Airlines and three major airlines in the Middle East (Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways).

Travellers to Singapore intending to use the IATA Travel Pass should check with the airline they are travelling with for eligibility purposes.

Meanwhile, Changi Airport Group has launched a new digital initiative to assist those planning air travel into Singapore. Entitled Safe Travel Concierge (STC) the new online concierge service enables passengers to book their on-arrival PCR test and check that they have completed all pre-travel requirements.

[Please watch the below video to learn more about Changi Airport Group’s new Safe Travel Concierge concept]

Passengers can easily access the information and forms through STC, instead of searching different websites to apply for their pre-travel documents.

After registering for an STC account, passengers must add their upcoming trips. Depending on their profile and trip details, they will be shown a customised list of pre-travel requirements to complete before flying to Singapore.

Besides booking their on-arrival PCR test, passengers can also access services such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s Electronic Arrival Card and Health Declaration form through STC.

Passengers can also stay updated on the latest Covid-19 news through the portal.

Jayson Goh, Managing Director for Airport Operations Management, Changi Airport Group said the online concierge service can ease the anxiety of air travel by helping passengers navigate their pre-travel requirements.

He remarked: “As we prepare for the reopening of international borders, Changi Airport continues to innovate and leverage technology to ensure a safe and pleasant traveller experience for our passengers.

“With the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we first trialled the STC prototype at TravelRevive, the first hybrid trade-show in Singapore. We are glad to launch it today for all passengers and encourage them to use it for a smoother experience at Changi Airport.”