The International Air Ship Association will soon whorl out blockchain-based passports that digitally store an individual'southward health data — specifically, their COVID-19 testing and vaccination status.

In a move that IATA says has the potential to reopen international travel and loosen electric current global quarantine restrictions, a "health" passport will exist stored in a user's smartphone in the grade of an app, with the first real-globe testing expected to take identify every bit soon as February.

Known as the IATA Travel Pass and described as a fashion to requite travelers consummate control over their own data, the app would reportedly likewise act as a two-manner communication tool that broadcasts information to relevant governments, vaccination centers and airlines.

Four major airlines take signed up for the program thus far. Singapore Airlines and British Airways programme to begin the showtime phase of testing in February, while Etihad and Emirates currently forecast an Apr launch appointment.

Alan Murray Hayden — caput of drome, rider and security products at IATA — praised the employ of "powerful" blockchain technology in the scheme, adding that information technology was one of the few implementations of the engineering science to engagement that has a articulate beneficial result:

"This is the beauty of the technology we're using; it puts the passenger in complete control of their data. In that location's no central database and nobody tin can hack it. The passenger owns their information and they share information technology with the airline. It'south so powerful and it'southward probably one of the outset always examples of blockchain technology being implemented in a way that benefits people."

The Travel Pass will feature iv main interactive components: the digital passport module; a Lab app, which allows data to be sent securely via testing labs and the app itself; a global registry of vaccination centers; and a global registry of upwardly-to-date health requirements demanded by international travelers at any given time.

If the would-be passenger'southward health and vaccination status meets international requirements, then, Hayden said, the passenger would be proficient to go.

"So, now passengers take three fundamental things on their telephone — their digital passports, test results and what we call an 'okay to travel'. Passengers tin then choose whether to share this information on the airline app. They will exist prompted to submit their data and if they click on submit it will be sent to the airline. This is simple from a passenger perspective — literally with the click of a couple of buttons the airline now has all passenger's details, and they're 100% certain that the passenger is okay to fly."

Etihad airline passengers flying out of Abu Dhabi will be the first to be offered the use of the digital passports in the first quarter of 2021.