EVA Air will become the first Asian airline to pilot the ICC AOKpass, a digital health passport designed to streamline travel during the pandemic.
The app was created by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in collaboration with International SOS and the SGS Group, to allow customers to carry a digital, secure and portable copy of medical records including Covid-19 test results.
The app will be trialled for six weeks on flights between Taiwan Taoyuan Airport, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with dedicated fast track channels at both US airports. As it stands, travellers to and from the Taiwanese airport are required to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure. The AOKpass will allow EVA Air passengers to store their PCR test results digitally on their mobile devices for later verification at the airport.
Several other carriers have been trialling the AOKpass technology, including Etihad Airways on flights between Paris and Abu Dhabi, and Air France on routes to Guadeloupe, Martinique, LA and San Francisco. According to International SOS, the AOKpass has already been deployed in over 500 flights.
EVA Air spokesperson, David Chen, commented:
“It is vitally important that our passengers’ health is protected, their data is secure and they have a convenient travel experience. AOKpass supports all these three key aims and the pilot will be assisted by our trusted medical partner, MedAire. By running a six-week pilot we will be able to see the consistent benefits to our passengers.”
Bill Dolny, CEO of MedAire (an International SOS company), continued:
“As organisations are starting to return to travel and operations, ICC AOKpass has been instrumental in ensuring that airlines, airports, and immigration authorities can deliver this safely and sustainably. AOKpass, and the extensive testing network that supports it, has already been used to process thousands of health passes, supporting travellers since September 2020.
“For the growing number of returning travellers, safety at scale is critical, as is continuing to provide assurance and renewed confidence in travel. EVA Air is to make this another successful implementation and step towards our collective industry goal to open the skies with safe travel once again.”
Business Traveller has reached out to the airline to find out when the trial will take place.
AOKpass is one of a raft of “digital health passports” currently being trialled worldwide, as governments and airlines struggle try to promote travel in the Covid-19 era.
For a look at the pros and cons of so called “freedom passports”, and the different options being developed, see our recent features:
