Air France Adds Montreal - Paris Flights to IATA Travel Pass Trial

By adding Montreal-Paris to its flights trialing the IATA Travel Pass app, Air France becomes the first airline to introduce a pilot program for outbound flights at Montréal-Trudeau airport (YUL) digitizing negative COVID19 test results.

It is carrying out the program jointly with the Biron Health Group.

The pilot program will focus strictly on outbound Air France flights from Montréal-Trudeau to Paris-Charles de Gaulle between 24 June and 15 July 2021.

Not only does the IATA Travel Pass reduce the danger of people using fake certificates and test results to travel, the mobile application also enables travelers to:

- Check up on the latest COVID19 related entry requirements for their destination;

- Have the results of their COVID19 test performed at partner laboratories sent directly into the app;

- Securely store those documents in the app so they can demonstrate to airlines and authorities that they meet the relevant entry requirements, without having to divulge further information about their personal health.

This trial is free of charge for customers and offered on a voluntary basis. It is open to customers travelling on Air France-operated flights with Paris as a final destination.

Testing will be carried out at the Biron Health Group's onsite facilities at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport. Eligible passengers will receive a notification a few days before departing for Paris. Testing is possible on the day of departure for travellers aged 11 and up who have not been vaccinated or have only received their first dose, as they are required to present proof of a negative PCR or antigen test result issued within 72 hours of their departure to enter France.

What steps must a traveller follow?

- The traveller downloads the IATA Travel Pass app available on the Apple Store and Google Play and activates it using the code transmitted by Air France;

- He books an appointment for his PCR or antigen test on the Biron Health Group website. At the time of the test, he asks to have the result integrated directly to the IATA Travel Pass;

- At the airport, the traveler proceeds to the Air France SkyPriority counter. When checking travel formalities, he presents his phone instead of a printed result.

IATA Travel Pass meets the strictest data protection requirements. All the user's health details remain on the app: at no point are they transmitted or centrally stored, which assures the user of total control over all their personal data.

Already deployed from New York-JFK and Barcelona, this test marks a new step toward simplifying travel.

Air France applies the strictest health measures and offers its customers total ticket flexibility, with the possibility of postponing or cancelling or being refunded for any trip planned before December 31, 2021 free of charge.

"Our team is delighted to be trialing this digital solution that enables passengers to safely store their COVID test results, and thus streamline their time at the airport," said Catherine Guillemart-Dias, Vice-President and General Manager of Air France KLM Canada.

This summer, Air France will operate 17 weekly flights from Montréal-Trudeau to Paris-Charles-de Gaulle.

IATA Travel Pass - Exclusive Video Interview with Vinoop Goel

Editor's note: As the above video interview was conducted over the internet, I would like to apologise that the audio and visual quality are not up to the same HD/UHD quality that it normally would be. Hopefully it won't be too long until we are once again conducting exclusive video interviews in person, but for now we have to make do with what we have. Thank you.

See also: Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA (November 2019).

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