Air transport association backs EU Digital COVID Certificate as 'global standard'

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday praised the European Commission for its speed in delivering the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) and urged states to make it their global standard for digital vaccine certificates.

The DCC was delivered in record time to help facilitate the reopening of EU states to travel, said IATA in a statement.

“In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccine certificates, it should serve as a blueprint for other nations looking to implement digital vaccination certificates to help facilitate travel and its associated economic benefits,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s deputy chief.

IATA said the DCC meets several vital criteria deemed necessary for practical digital vaccination certification.

The DCC can include QR code information in both digital and paper formats.

The QR code contains essential information and a digital signature to make sure the certificate is authentic.

The European Commission has also built a gateway through which the encrypted data used to sign DCCs and required to authenticate certificate signatures can be distributed across the EU.

IATA said the EU has also developed a specification for machine-readable Validation Rules for cross-country travel.

The EU certificate is implemented in the 27 EU Member states, and reciprocal agreements have been agreed with other states’ vaccination certificates, including Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.

In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccination certificates, up to 60 other countries are looking to use the EU specification for their certification.

The DCC is consistent with the latest World Health Organization Guidance and is fully supported by IATA Travel Pass.

“Another benefit of the DCC is that it enables holders to access non-aviation sites in Europe that requires proof of vaccination, such as museums, sporting events, and concerts,” said IATA.