Budget carrier IndiGo has announced it has partnered with International Air Transport Association (IATA) to become the first airline in the country to launch a pilot for the latter’s digital passport initiative called Travel Pass.

IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that helps travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines and securely share the results with airlines and border authorities. More than 45 airlines across the world, including Singapore Airlines, Qatar, Emirates, Etihad have already joined hands with IATA for trials.

The pilot programme in India will start on 20 August.

“This initiative is a significant step to prepare for a new normal, especially with regards to international travel. Today, most countries have implemented protocols for travellers across the globe and this IATA Travel Pass will simplify and digitise the requisite passenger information for respective countries. We are certain that our collaboration with IATA on this innovation will prove to be a stepping-stone towards international air travel recovery, while providing a hassle-free experience to our customers,” IndiGo CEO, Ronojoy Dutta said in a press statement.