The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it has launched a self-registration portal to make it easier for COVID-19 testing labs to join the IATA Travel Pass Lab Network.
IATA’s Lab Network provides a list of eligible lab locations around the globe so that travelers can easily find a location for a COVID-19 test prior to travel. The newly launched portal provides a one-stop-shop for labs to self-register to be included in the Network.
According to IATA, labs wishing to join its Lab Network should confirm that they meet the eligibility *criteria* and register through the new Self Registration Portal. Before they are included in the IATA Travel Pass, IATA will validate the information and contact labs directly to finalize their registration. The IATA Lab Network is free for labs to join.
Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, said: “COVID-19 testing will be critical to a prolonged recovery to international travel for the foreseeable future. One aim of IATA Travel Pass is to make it as easy as possible for travelers to find eligible labs that meet the specific requirements of their journeys. Already IATA Travel Pass has an extensive network of labs which is rapidly expanding as more airlines use the IATA Travel Pass. The IATA Lab Network Self Registration Portal will make it easier for more labs to join so that we are ready to reliably meet the requirements of governments as and more people return to the skies.”
IATA noted that once labs have joined its Travel Pass Lab network, passengers will be able to use the lab for COVID-19 testing prior to travel, securely upload test results in IATA Travel Pass. This information is then checked against the IATA Timatic global registry of national health and entry requirements, to produce an “OK to Travel” status.
The IATA Travel Pass Lab Network is a key element of IATA Travel Pass, a mobile app that helps travelers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccinations. IATA Travel Pass is more secure and efficient than current paper processes used to manage health requirements, crucial for the scalable restart of aviation. Over 70 airlines are either trialling or committed to testing IATA Travel Pass. Trials span 151 routes across all continents of the world.