France Considers Digital Health Pass to Streamline Air Travel Amid Pandemic

The minister explains that with the health crisis and the resulting consequences, it is important to secure air travel. For him, the Travel Pass or AOKpass applications seem to be imposing themselves to avoid slowing down the flow of passengers in airports. Today, with the many documents that must be presented to prove one’s good health, the time lost by each traveler is still enormous. "We have to go for it now, it’s still the direction of history," he said.

During his intervention, the Minister of Transport said he supports Travel Pass, the health certificate developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and currently being tested by airlines in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Travel Pass would guarantee the identity of its holder and the authenticity of the screening test or vaccination certificate, reports Air Journal.

In France, the airlines Air Caraïbes, French Bee and Air France are awaiting March to test the AOKpass application, but only on flights departing from Paris to Guadeloupe and Martinique. The results of the negative Covid-19 test, necessary for travel, will be authenticated through a partnership with a laboratory and securely recorded on this application.

Regarding the debate on the vaccine passport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari believes that "it is a political discussion that has not yet taken place." According to him, the debate will take place when European countries have reached the largest number of vaccinated people. Ursula Von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, agrees. She specifies that "as long as all citizens have not had the opportunity to be vaccinated, Covid-19 vaccination certificates should not be used for other purposes."