Amadeus
has integrated the IBM Digital Health Pass into its Traveler
ID for Safe Travel Platform, making it the first travel brand to use IBM’s solution.
Amadeus is in the process of integrating other digital
health passes or health aggregators into its system – in the past the company
has mentioned CommonPass and AOKPass – but this is its first digital health
pass to go live.
Traveler ID for Safe Travel is a secure, digital
system that enables airlines, airports, hotels, travel agencies and other
travel partners to automatically verify identification and COVID-19
documentation at any checkpoint.
It is currently used by Air Canada, Air Europa, Norwegian, Air Corsica, Air Caraibes, French Bee and four other airlines that have not yet been named publicly.
As air travelers check in online, Traveler ID for Safe
Travel checks requirements for their destination country and prompts them to
scan required documents or upload a digital version.
The IBM Digital Health Pass then uses a combination of
encryption and blockchain technologies to authenticate the COVID-19 health
credentials against a global ecosystem of labs, vaccination centers and
healthcare providers.
Airlines receive confirmation that a passenger is ready to
fly, without the need for transferring or storing the traveler’s personal
health information by the airline or IBM.
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IBM says the cryptography and blockchain used in the
background help keep the data tamperproof, trusted and privacy-preserving.
“While countries across the globe are beginning to slowly
reopen borders to welcome back visitors, specific border entry requirements may
vary greatly country to country. The need to check COVID-19 health documentation
is causing significant delays during the journey for airlines and other travel
providers, as well as the traveler,” says Greg Land, travel and transportation industry
lead at IBM.
“The integration of IBM Digital Health Pass into Amadeus’
Traveler ID for Safe Travel is designed to provide airlines with open
technologies they can build into existing digital solutions. This can help
airlines safely meet border entry requirements while delivering a smoother
customer experience.”
Amadeus says in the near future it will announce new airlines
using Traveler ID for Safe Travel and that the capabilities are also relevant
for hotels and airports.
“This is another milestone in the collaboration we are
driving through our Safe Travel Ecosystem. By working hand in hand with
customers and partners such as IBM, we can deliver the capabilities needed by
travel providers and travelers to help provide a smooth passenger journey once
more,” says Monika Wiederhold, global program lead Safe Travel Ecosystem at
Amadeus.