Airlines will be able to verify the health status of their passengers through the platform. Hyperledger Indy developers are currently working on that platform for travelers.
Around 300 airlines constitute the International Air Transport Association (IATA) worldwide. They recently revealed that their blockchain platform would be ready for use starting in March. The tool, called Travel Pass, will allow verifying the health status of each passenger at the time of boarding.
IATA says in an official statement that they developed a mobile app that will store the COVID-19 tests and vaccine certifications of passengers. Although each user manages the data, the platform connects with government agencies and health centers that issue COVID-19 tests. This seeks to ensure that verified information reaches those who need it safely.
According to the document, the launch of the Travel Pass will come amid expectations about its usefulness for allowing airlines to resume their flights. IATA also expects the economic recovery of the industry after a year of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Features of That Blockchain-Based Solution
The head of security products at IATA, Alan Murray Hayde, explained that the platform has four independent components that interact with each other. He said that these modules include a registry with precise information on the entry requirements of each country or territory.
The second module consists of a registry of the test centers and laboratories that meet the requirements of the places of destination. Through an app, authorized laboratories and test centers can send data on test results or vaccination certificates to passengers. According to the Future.Travel website, the last module allows issuing the digital pass.
Users send the results of their tests to the Timatic system, which confirms whether or not they are fit to travel. Airlines access this database to verify passengers’ documentation.
Extension of the Pass to Other Countries
Concerning UAE airline Etihad Airways, they will test the tool during the first quarter of the year. The company said they will extend the pass to other destinations if it is successful.
Another airline, Emirates Airlines, will conduct a series of tests in Dubai to validate the diagnostic tests for COVID-19. IATA says in another statement that this validation is necessary so that passengers can board each flight.
In this initial phase, Emirates Airlines customers will be able to share the status of their COVID-19 tests directly with the airline. This will be possible even before arriving at the airport, starting in April.
Self-Sovereign Identity Blockchain App
According to Murray Hayde, the Travel Pass is an extension of the contactless identity app that IATA was developing before the pandemic. The trade association has been working on the tool jointly with Evernym. The latter is a company that uses blockchain technology to develop self-sovereign identity networks.
They explain on their website that their blockchain platform allows each user to retain control over their digital identity. In this way, they seek to guarantee the inalterability of citizens’ data by creating a decentralized ecosystem of digital credentials.
For some time, governments and companies have been studying the implementation of blockchain-based passes. The idea is to be able to return to everyday normality. Spain was already doing pilot tests for this type of technological solution in May of last year.
Regardless of the advantages of this type of app, one of the great concerns is the use of users’ private data. There was increasing nervousness among users as errors have exposed their private information, as happened in Argentina last year.
By Willmen Blanco
