International vaccine passports to be trialed on 2 Tokyo-Da Nang flights

By Nguyen Quy July 9, 2021 | 07:31 pm PT

Passengers at Da Nang International Airport in central Vietnam, September 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong.

Vietnam Airlines will trial a digital travel pass for Covid test results and vaccine certificates on a flight each from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Da Nang Airport on July 15 and 23.

The carrier signed an agreement with the International Air Transport Association in May to test the IATA Travel Pass initiative that allows people to store verified Covid-19-test and vaccination certificates on a smartphone app.

Passengers need to get a negative Covid-19 result and vaccination certificate issued by authorized facilities registered with IATA, the carrier said in a statement.

They have to register on its website at least three days before departure, download the IATA Travel Pass application to their phone, create their digital health passport and enter their flight information.

During the trial phase, passengers will still have to present test results on paper if demanded by authorities.

Currently more than 70 airlines are trialing Travel Pass or are committed to doing so.

EU member states rolled out digital health passports on July 1 as part of efforts to gradually ease travel restrictions within the bloc, including for non-EU passengers.

Vietnam closed its borders and canceled all international flights in March last year, only allowing in special flights such as repatriation ones or those carrying foreign diplomats, investors and high-skilled workers.