PAL to trial IATA Travel Pass on LA, Singapore flights starting May

FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Wednesday that it would soon begin a trial run of a travel pass mobile application developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The IATA Travel Pass application allows passengers to digitally manage their travel documents and share their coronavirus test results.

“PAL and IATA will conduct a trial run of the new digital technology on the Philippine flag carrier’s flights from Manila to Los Angeles and Singapore on select dates from May to June 2021,” PAL said in a statement.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Gilbert F. Santa Maria said the IATA Travel Pass app is intended to assist passengers in verifying that they are in compliance with health rules and coronavirus test requirements.

The IATA Travel Pass app allows passengers to upload their passports 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 coronavirus testing before their departure,” the flag carrier said.

“The Travel Pass also enables partner and accredited coronavirus 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,” it added.

The Tourism department said the adoption of IATA’s Travel Pass should help the country safely reopen its tourist destinations.

“Once the country’s adoption of the IATA Travel Pass is put into motion, the [Department of Tourism] hopes to safely reopen our tourist destinations to international visitors and revive the tourism industry as a whole… when the time is right,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat was quoted as saying in the statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin