SITA pioneers health travel pass

GENEVA, 9 February 2021: SITA announced at the weekend the launch of its Health Protect – an industry solution, to help airlines, airports, governments, and passengers share information securely on health tests or vaccinations needed during travel.

Successful trials have already been undertaken with travellers to the United Arab Emirates, and soon to start at Milan Malpensa Airport.

As governments globally seek a way to resume safe and secure travel in the wake of Covid-19, the ability for passengers to share health information such as PCR test results or vaccination history with authorities is increasingly important.

SITA’s Health Protect allows airlines and passengers to submit these required documents safely and securely in line with specific government requirements.

A key benefit is its ability to seamlessly integrate with multiple travel pass or ‘health passport’ schemes, bridging the gap between these schemes and aviation and border processes. Critically, by incorporating Advance Passenger Processing (APP), it enables authorities to make an informed decision whether a passenger can travel at the point of check-in, improving the safety of all passengers and avoiding costly return flights.

Passengers without the required documentation, or considered high risk, will be unable to check-in for their flight, ensuring they do not travel to the airport.

Combining the functionality of passenger locator forms, health attestations, and travel declarations, as well as Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), Health Protect supports a seamless and contactless passenger journey. It will also provide passenger certainty that they have the right documents before departure, vitally at a time when borders regulations change regularly.

Proven success

Last week for the first time, a small group of air travellers flying from Germany and Estonia to the United Arab Emirates tested the health data platform and app SimplyGo in a live environment. As part of the trial project, SimplyGo partnered with SITA to make use of SITA Health Protect.

During the trial, travellers obtained a negative Covid-19 result via their SimplyGo app before travelling. The data was then securely stored on the SimplyGo platform to be accessed by airlines, and border officials who authorised boarding of the plane and their eventual arrival at the destination country, the United Arab Emirates. Integration with the UAE government systems was made possible through the Advance Passenger Processing platform delivered by SITA.

Similarly, SEA Milan Airports is collaborating with SITA to pilot an innovative platform that digitalises declarations on Covid-19 tested flights and manages the testing process at Milan Malpensa (MXP) airport, Italy’s second busiest airport.

About Health Protect

Health Protect comprises a suite of solutions, including SITA Health ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), SITA Advance Passenger Processing (APP), and SITA Flex for in-airport passenger flow monitoring. Selecting the right combination of products and integrating with a health pass system like SimplyGo, ensures governments are aware of who is intending to travel and their health status. Governments can then make informed decisions on who to allow to travel.