Bamboo Airways to trial digital health pass

In coordination with IATA, Bamboo Airways will begin preparations to trial the IATA Travel Pass on international flights in the coming months. With this move, Bamboo Airways demonstrates its commitment to relaunching international routes, opening borders safely as well as reviving the battered tourism industry.

IATA Travel Pass is a digital health wallet where passengers can upload and share their Covid-19 tests and vaccinations certificates for travel. Health information is an essential factor for both governments and carriers to conduct safe flights during and after the pandemic.

The IATA Travel Pass is considered a safer and more effective solution compared to current paper-based procedures, especially when it comes to a multitude of test and vaccination data that needs securing.

IATA Travel Pass has been put into application by many airlines across the world. Photo by IATA.

To create the digital health wallet, passengers download the IATA Travel Pass app, and register a digital identity using their passports. Once passengers have been tested and/or vaccinated, labs will securely send data to the individual's app. It then verifies this information and checks that passengers meet the travel requirements for their destination. If they do, they will receive an "OK to Travel." Passengers can also choose to share this with airlines and authorities.

The app has been developed with the highest levels of data privacy and security, so passengers always remain in control of their Covid-19 health information. Besides, governments can be confident that passengers who are OK to Travel are in full compliance of Covid-19 travel requirements, said Nick Careen, IATA senior vice president for Airports, Passenger, Cargo and Security.

By ensuring passengers meet Covid-19 health requirements for their destination, Travel Pass will facilitate more seamless transportation, playing a crucial role in the reopening of international routes in the near future.

As of June, more than 60 airlines in the world have announced the pilot of IATA Travel Pass, including Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Serbia, Emirates, Etihad, Ethiopian Airlines, Iberia, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, etc.

The airline’s Covid-19 prevention process is rated 7/7 by Airline Ratings. Photo by IATA.

As a member of IATA, Bamboo Airways is closely collaborating with the body, authorities and related units to pilot the Travel Pass app in line with government regulations on "digital health passports" or "vaccine passports". With this trial, Bamboo Airways aims to establish an area to check the compliance of passengers at the airport and provide the government with valid information to ensure safe flights and repel the pandemic.

Bamboo Airways is promoting the digital transformation process and effectively fulfilling the market demand and practical requirements of a "new normal" phase.

"Alongside the valuable partnership with IATA, it's our conviction that Bamboo Airways will substantially contribute to the revival and sustainable development of aviation in the future," said Dang Tat Thang, CEO of Bamboo Airways.

Thang believes the tech solution would be the cornerstone of international routes reopening, especially Bamboo Airways' non-stop flights connecting Vietnam and the U.S.

Bamboo Airways has prepared a corresponding scheme to restart international routes. Photo by IATA

Complying with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam on the three-phase plan for restarting international routes, Bamboo Airways has prepared a corresponding scheme and suitable strategy based on close observation of the market and pandemic.

Bamboo Airways has successfully conducted many repatriation charter flights from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines, Poland, Norway, etc. The airline is also completing procedures to launch non-stop flights to many countries in Asia-Pacific, including Australia, exploit the European market, and gather pace in the operation of non-stop flights connecting Vietnam and the U.S. as soon as the government allows.

At the same time, Bamboo Airways is implementing Covid-19 vaccinations for all employees and related affiliates.

Bamboo Airways strictly complies with disease prevention measures as guided by the National Steering Committee for the Prevention of Covid-19, the Ministry of Health, the Steering Committee of the Ministry of Transport, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, including temperature screenings at the airport, providing hand sanitizers and masks at check-in areas, departure gates and on planes, spraying disinfectant after flights, regularly maintaining HEPA filters on aircraft, etc.

As of now, Bamboo Airways’ Covid-19 prevention process is considered the most comprehensive and effective, achieving an absolute level of 7/7 by Airlines Ratings.

Bamboo Airways currently operates over 60 domestic and international routes, transporting 7.5 million passengers on safe flights. The airline has also maintained the highest on-time flight rate in Vietnam's aviation market in three years up to 2021.

The airline’s international 5-star standard-oriented service has been recognized by domestic and international passengers and media with a customer satisfaction rate of 4.5/5. Bamboo Airways was honored as Vietnam's Best Airline, Asia's Leading Regional Airline, and the favorite airline voted for by golfers.