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SITA recently announced the launch of Health Protect, an industry solution to help airlines, airports, governments and passengers safely and securely share information on health tests or vaccinations needed during travel.

Successful trials have already been undertaken with travellers to the United Arab Emirates and will soon begin at Milan Malpensa Airport.

For many countries, economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic relies heavily on travel and tourism. As governments around the globe seek a way to resume safe and secure travel in the wake of COVID-19, the ability for passengers to share vital health information such as PCR test results or vaccination history with authorities is increasingly important.

SITA’s Health Protect allows airlines and passengers to submit these required documents safely and securely in line with specific government requirements.

A key benefit is the ability to seamlessly integrate with multiple travel pass or ‘health passport’ schemes, bridging the gap between these schemes and aviation and border processes.

By incorporating Advance Passenger Processing (APP), authorities are able to make an informed decision as to whether a passenger can travel at the point of check-in, improving the safety of all passengers and avoiding costly return flights.

Passengers without the required documentation (or who are considered high risk) will be unable to check in for their flight, ensuring they do not travel to the airport.

Health Protect will deliver confidence for all stakeholders to travel again safely and securely, supporting a seamless and contactless passenger journey, as well as the certainty that passengers have the correct documents before departure at a time when borders regulations are constantly changing.

At the airport, Health Protect also integrates with existing airport passenger processing systems to verify the health status of the passenger at each point in the process using SITA Flex touchless passenger flow monitoring technology.

According to David Lavorel, CEO of Airports & Borders at SITA, “We’re excited for the potential of SITA Health Protect to bridge the gap between airlines resuming normal operations and governments’ strong focus on keeping control of COVID-19. Recovery from COVID-19 will take time and is complex but we believe that SITA can play a key role in enabling a safer, simpler travel experience for passengers.”

Proven Success

This week for the first time, a small group of air travelers flying from Germany and Estonia to the United Arab Emirates tested the health data platform and app SimplyGo in a live environment. As part of the trial project, SimplyGo partnered with SITA to make use of SITA Health Protect.

During the trial, travellers obtained a negative COVID-19 result via the SimplyGo app before travelling. Data was then securely stored on the SimplyGo platform to be accessed by airlines and border officials authorizing boarding of the plane and eventual arrival into the UAE.

Integration with the UAE government systems was made possible through the Advance Passenger Processing platform delivered by SITA.

Similarly, SEA Milan Airports, Italy’s second busiest airport, is collaborating with SITA to pilot an innovative platform that digitalizes declarations on COVID-19 tested flights and manages the testing process at Milan Malpensa (MXP) airport.

SITA continues to work closely with governments globally to support them in the safe reopening of borders and with airlines and airports to support the implementation of strong border controls that have helped minimize and manage the pandemic’s impact.

About Health Protect

Health Protect comprises a suite of solutions, including SITA Health ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), SITA Advance Passenger Processing (APP) and SITA Flex for in-airport passenger flow monitoring. Selecting the right combination of products and integrating with a health pass system like SimplyGo ensures that governments are aware of passengers and their health status. Governments can then make informed decisions on who to allow on flights.