Airline Body IATA to Launch COVID-19 Travel Passport App in April

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, announced today that it plans to launch a digital travel passport for COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates on Apple's App Store around April 15.

iata airline body
As reported by Reuters, IATA has had the digital passport in development for the past few months and is currently undergoing beta testing. Initial plans called for the digital pass to launch at the end of March, but undisclosed reasons pushed the release into mid-Apri.

The app will show whether a person has tested positive for COVID-19 and may become the international standard for proving someone has been vaccinated.

Kamil Alawadhi, IATA's regional VP for Africa and the Middle East, says the new app will only become valid when counties, airports, and airlines adopt it and make it a requirement. Already, UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic said that it would begin a trial of the pass with a flight on April 16 from London to Barbados, which will require travelers to present upon arrival.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...

Top Rated Comments

Nikhil72 Avatar
60 months ago

Stupid. Whether or not I’ve had the vaccine is nobody’s business but mine.
you have to prove vaccination to 1) travel to many international countries, 2) go to school (elementary, middle, high, college, or post graduate including boosters if needed), 3) for select occupations (ie healthcare fields), 4) joining the military. And when I say proof, actual records from a facility.

This individual liberty nonsense is theatrical drama at best and is eye rolling because it either demonstrates lack of basic knowledge of how things have worked with respect to public health or stem from sheer foolishness.

you don’t want to comply? That’s fine, you’re not entitled to air travel, movie theaters, dining establishments, live performance venues. They’re largely private businesses. No shirt no service? Just as legal as requiring proof of serologic protection.
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Caliber26 Avatar
60 months ago
Soon, we’ll need a Covid passport just to walk into the grocery store or even our place of work. Is this how they start to condition us for what’s to come?
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mansu944 Avatar
60 months ago
3 months ago this was a “conspiracy theory”.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
60 months ago
People who predicted this a year ago were called "conspiracy theorists". Welcome to the future where your freedom is a thing of the past. They like to call it "the new normal"
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IIGS User Avatar
60 months ago
I see this as a positive development for a lot of reasons.

For one, establishing an international standard. Anyone who's traveled to undeveloped or underdeveloped regions has experienced carrying a cardstock vax card for production at entry ports.

Second, a large group of the population is wary of government sponsored vax passports, particularly in the US. But, to return to a life where we can do things like go to ball games and concerts, it's going to be a necessity. Too many people will forge or out and out like about their status, which is unacceptable. People might be more inclined to trust an industry group like the IATA than their government.

Finally, it will encourage more people to get their vaccine. I know a LOT of people have a hesitancy to do so. I understand the large list of reasons why. I certainly don't agree with them all.

I've had both doses of the Moderna vax. Our work got it for us early as we are front line essential, so I had my second shot back in February. My wife gets her second this Saturday. She was a bit hesitant, as was I at first. One of my doctors participated in the Moderna trial as a recipient. After speaking with him, I decided to go ahead with it.

Me and my wife both had minimal side effects. I had a sore arm and felt lousy the next day. She as well, but a bit tired. I had no side effects to the second shot. I was also previously infected with COVID and (obviously) survived.

I would encourage everyone who has not, and has access to get the vax. A large group of my co workers had it at the same time, and only 2 had reactions that were similar to a flu shot reaction.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GubbyMan Avatar
60 months ago

Stupid. Whether or not I’ve had the vaccine is nobody’s business but mine.
Really? I think the chance of anyone dying from covid19 is lowered if you had the vaccine which makes it everybody’s business.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)