Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) begins trials today of a further digital solution for verifying travellers’ COVID-19 test and vaccination status, to help make travel simple and reliable again during the present pandemic.
SWISS is conducting these trials under its membership of the BlueIcareUs Alliance, a partnership of Swiss-based companies and organizations from the aviation and healthcare sectors.
The international solution has been developed with a view to establishing a national and international COVID vaccination and test results certificate by Swiss-based start-up Cyberfish, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Swiss Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication (FOITT), and in coordination with the preparations for the EU Green Certificate.
Tamper-proof technology
With the new solution, which requires no app download and which fully complies with the strictest data protection provisions, travellers can have all their certifications of COVID vaccination and test results transmitted by participating test centres and laboratories directly to a digital wallet, where they can be stored and administered. The traveller can then use this digital document to present tamper-proof confirmation to airlines and authorities that they meet the entry requirements of their country of destination, without having to divulge any further information on their personal health. With its encrypted barcode technology, the new certification system will also bring greater speed and efficiency to the relevant airport processes.
SWISS will be testing the functionality of this new digital solution over the next few days, with a view to its possible adoption in the third quarter of this year. During this initial trial phase, the SWISS travellers involved must continue to carry and present all the conventional health documentation required by the authorities at their destination.
SWISS has already trialled the new IATA Travel Pass on its services between Zurich and London Heathrow. SWISS travellers on certain routes have also been able to upload their COVID test results up to 12 hours before starting their journey. These can then be verified to ensure that the customer knows before departure whether they meet all the authorities’ entry requirements at their air destination.
For further information on the BlueIcareUs Alliance, visit www.blueicareus.ch.
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