Travel Industry Executives Complete Phase One of Digital Health Pass Trial

London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom, October 23, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / Travel industry executives met at London Heathrow Airport as part of a transatlantic trial of CommonPass, a digital health pass aimed at enabling safer travel and the reopening of international borders.

Officials from Internova Travel Group, the World Travel & Tourism Council, The Commons Project Foundation, and the World Economic Forum gathered today at Heathrow after the completion of the first phase of the transatlantic trial. Phase II will be complete when industry executives, who volunteered to test the medical registry, land at Newark Liberty International Airport and disembark from United Flight 15.

Volunteers used the CommonPass health pass on their mobile phone to document their certified COVID-19 status.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, observed Phase I of the trial. She said: “We are encouraged by the successful trial of the CommonPass, and I am excited to be able to be here at London Heathrow to witness such a historic event.

“CommonPass, along with other critical measures such as a standardised international testing protocol, is key to reviving the seriously ailing global Travel & Tourism sector.”

Internova Travel Group CEO J.D. O’Hara said: “The ability to verify health information in a secure, certified manner will allow countries and regions to open borders and restart the travel industry along with the economic activity that comes with it,” said O’Hara.

Pictured, left to right, at London Heathrow Airport are: Hermann Elger, President, Sharecare; Arif Kamal, Director Revenue Management, Global Travel Collection; Gloria Guevara, World Travel & Tourism Council President & CEO; J.D. O’Hara, CEO, Internova Travel Group; Peter Vlitas, SVP, Airline Relations, Internova Travel Group and Jason Oshiokpekhai, Managing Director, Global Travel Collection.