Airlines are preparing for the expected relaxation in restrictions later this spring. Ahead of the big restart of international travel, British Airways is planning for an app-based digital health pass. This update follows a previous announcement from the carrier’s parent company, IAG, which stated that such passes would help to reopen skies safely.
Continued challenges
For a year, international travel has been largely rocked across the continents amid the global health crisis. More recently, stringent travel restrictions have remained in place in the United Kingdom for several months. Since the turn of 2021, only passengers with specific requirements have been allowed to hit the air. Subsequently, British Airways is seeing a continued downturn in passenger activity, which is set to continue until at least May 17th, when some restrictions may be relaxed.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s global travel taskforce is expected to share a report on April 12th about options on resuming international travel for this summer. Undoubtedly, British Airways will be keen to share its voice and keep a close eye on these advances.
Preparing properly
The BBC reports that BA is looking to make it easier for passengers to prove that they are safe to travel once they have been vaccinated against the virus. Under the plans, those who have had two doses will be able to register their status on the flag carrier of the United Kingdom’s mobile app. Notably, the operator wants to be a leader in this next stage.
“We’re making great progress in Britain in dealing with the pandemic. It’s fair to say that Britain has developed a really strong leadership position in coming out the other end of the pandemic,” British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said, as reported by the BBC.
“What we want to make sure is that we also take that leadership position into restoring travel and restoring the economy.”
A changing industry
Altogether, several airlines across the globe have been rolling out digital health passes. Most countries have some sort of requirement for entry, whether it’s testing, quarantine, or vaccination. So, depending on the specifications of the destination, these apps will make it easier to store and share information to travel.
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There is plenty of pent-up demand to travel this summer. Future bookings surged after the UK government first spoke about its roadmap to recovery last month. So, the last thing British Airways wants is to suspend services again. Therefore, these initiatives will help coordinate efficient and safe travel.
Simple Flying reached out to British Airways for comment on its digital health pass. We will update the article with any further announcements from the airline.
What are your thoughts about British Airways planning an app-based digital health pass? Do you think that this is a good move for the carrier? Do you expect this type of initiative to be a standard in the industry going forward? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.
