A group of travel executives, including representatives from the World Travel & Tourism Council, Internova Travel Group (formerly known as Travel Leaders) and technology organisation Commons Project Foundation, met at Heathrow for the first leg of a test of the new CommonPass digital health initiative.

Members of the group used CommonPass on their smartphones to document their certified Covid-19 status with all of the volunteers being negative for the virus.

The second phase of the test will see the volunteers use the health pass when they land at Newark Liberty airport after flying across the Atlantic on a United flight.

The first stage of the trial was observed by WTTC chief executive Gloria Guevara, who said: “We are encouraged by the successful trial of the CommonPass.

“CommonPass, along with other critical measures such as a standardised international testing protocol, is key to reviving the seriously ailing global travel and tourism sector.”

Internova Travel Group chief executive J D O’Hara added: “The ability to verify health information in a secure, certified manner will allow countries and regions to open borders and restart the travel industry along with the economic activity that comes with it.”