In the current new normal - if we can even call it "new" now - air travel has become a more complex affair, one that requires Covid-19 testings before and after flights and then serving quarantines or stay-home notices upon arrival. Due to current regulations, travellers will need to carry a physical copy of their health certificate issued by the testing clinic.

Now this can be made easier with the International Air Transport Associations 's (IATA) Travel Pass mobile health verification app, which Singapore Airlines will be the first airline to pilot and begin testing on flights from Singapore to London.

Beginning Monday (March 15), passengers on that route using Apple iOS-enabled phones will be able to download the Travel Pass app and create a digital identification with their photo and passport information.

They also can submit flight information and book a Covid-19 test at one of seven participating clinics in Singapore, after which their test results can be viewed directly in the app. Check-in staff at Changi airport can then verify their status via the app, which will speed up the check-in process, according to the carrier.

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According to the carrier, Singapore's trial will run through Sunday (March 28) and if successful, SIA plans to integrate the digital health verification process into its mobile app in mid-2021. In December, Singapore Airlines tested a digital health verification process based on the Travel Pass framework for passengers from Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, in which clinics issued health certificates with QR codes that could be scanned in Singapore.

The carrier said more than 200 such certificates have been verified by check-in staff since that trial began, and there have been no instances of fraudulent certificates. It's also possible that for Covid-19 vaccinated travellers, this will also be reflected in their digital health certificate as well.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.