Diagnostics services provider Unilabs has partnered with Iata to incorporate its Covid-19 testing network into the Iata Travel Pass app.
Iata Travel Pass provides information on entry requirements, directs travellers to trusted labs, and allows passengers to receive and manage digital certificates for Covid-19 tests or vaccinations.
The agreement will make Unilabs one of the first major lab groups to be integrated into the app. Proof of a negative Covid-19 test is required by many governments as a condition of entry, and the app “makes the process seamless, secure, and easy”.
Willie Walsh, Iata’s director general, said: “Covid-19 testing will play a role in re-starting international travel.
“Travellers will need to understand test requirements, locate labs, verify their identity to the lab and transfer their test results to relevant parties – airlines and governments – as needed.
“Our partnership with Unilabs will give travellers access to its extensive network and help them securely and efficiently manage their test results.”
Unilabs will be able to securely upload test results in Iata Travel Pass, which are then checked against the Iata Timatic global registry of national health requirements, to produce an “OK to Travel” status.
Through the app, passengers can share their status and the digital test certificates with authorities, airports, and airlines.
Unilabs and Iata are currently running a pilot program in the UAE. Once the processes are successfully up and running, the initiative will be rolled out to other entities of the Unilabs network in many countries.