Qantas Airways has completed its first customer trial of the CommonPass digital health app on its international repatriation flight from Frankfurt to Darwin.
This follows a successful trial with crew last month and comes as the national carrier prepares to restart international flights from late October.
A digital health pass will play a key part in Qantas’ aim to reboot its international flights by October
The CommonPass smartphone app helps to verify Covid test results and vaccination information to border or health officials and airline staff. The app connects passengers to certified testing labs so that results can be uploaded to the platform and passengers can show they have proof of a negative Covid test result before their flight, which is a requirement on all repatriation flights Qantas is operating on behalf of the Australian government.
Qantas Group CCO Stephanie Tully said a digital health pass would assist airlines and governments globally to facilitate safe international travel when borders reopen.
“We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that,” she said. “Covid test results and proof of vaccine will be required in many countries for quarantine-free travel, just as it has been for polio and yellow fever vaccinations in the past.”
Longer-term, there are plans to integrate the technology with the existing Qantas app to create a one-stop solution for passengers, Tully said. “Ultimately we’re focused on ensuring that the process will be as seamless as possible for our customers to share this information so they can travel internationally again,” she added.
CommonPass is one of two digital solutions that Qantas is assessing, alongside the IATA Travel Pass.
The Federal Government announced last month that vaccination certificates will be issued and made available through the Medicare and MyGov apps. Qantas is working on solutions for passengers to elect to have this medical information integrated with their clearance to travel in a secure way and in accordance with global privacy regulations.
Meanwhile, the Australian government has rolled out a A$1.2 billion (US$928 million) tourism support package designed to support the country’s aviation and tourism sectors, and boost domestic travel.
Under the plan, an estimated 550,000 discounted Qantas and Jetstar fares will be offered to targeted markets, while direct support will be given to around 7,500 employees directly impacted by continued international border closure, among others.
Qantas Airways has completed its first customer trial of the CommonPass digital health app on its international repatriation flight from Frankfurt to Darwin.
This follows a successful trial with crew last month and comes as the national carrier prepares to restart international flights from late October.
The CommonPass smartphone app helps to verify Covid test results and vaccination information to border or health officials and airline staff. The app connects passengers to certified testing labs so that results can be uploaded to the platform and passengers can show they have proof of a negative Covid test result before their flight, which is a requirement on all repatriation flights Qantas is operating on behalf of the Australian government.
Qantas Group CCO Stephanie Tully said a digital health pass would assist airlines and governments globally to facilitate safe international travel when borders reopen.
“We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that,” she said. “Covid test results and proof of vaccine will be required in many countries for quarantine-free travel, just as it has been for polio and yellow fever vaccinations in the past.”
Longer-term, there are plans to integrate the technology with the existing Qantas app to create a one-stop solution for passengers, Tully said. “Ultimately we’re focused on ensuring that the process will be as seamless as possible for our customers to share this information so they can travel internationally again,” she added.
CommonPass is one of two digital solutions that Qantas is assessing, alongside the IATA Travel Pass.
The Federal Government announced last month that vaccination certificates will be issued and made available through the Medicare and MyGov apps. Qantas is working on solutions for passengers to elect to have this medical information integrated with their clearance to travel in a secure way and in accordance with global privacy regulations.
Meanwhile, the Australian government has rolled out a A$1.2 billion (US$928 million) tourism support package designed to support the country’s aviation and tourism sectors, and boost domestic travel.
Under the plan, an estimated 550,000 discounted Qantas and Jetstar fares will be offered to targeted markets, while direct support will be given to around 7,500 employees directly impacted by continued international border closure, among others.