Since the COVID-19 crisis began, travel-related regulations have evolved and changed regularly. Submitting a negative COVID-19 test is now mandatory for most international travel, and verifying these tests, often presented in paper format, takes time.
To improve its customers' experience and streamline their time at the airport, Air France is today announcing a pilot of the ICC AOKpass, supported by MedAire/International SOS. The ICC AOKpass is a mobile app, available on smartphones that allows passengers to carry a secure record of the results of their COVID-19 test carried out in a partner laboratory1. Once at the airport, passengers present the certificate on the app, instead of a paper test. The ICC AOKpass provides secure verification, in line with the regulations of the destination country, via a network secured by blockchain technology.
This four-week test period, organized with the support of Paris Aéroport, will begin on 11 March, 2021 on all Air France flights from Paris-CDG to Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and Fort-de-France (Martinique). It will be carried out on a voluntary basis, in order to test the operation of the app in real conditions and to find out the opinions of test clients. Air France will share this feedback with the other airlines in the Skyteam alliance, which are currently testing various solutions for digitizing health documents.
In addition to testing the ICC AOKpass solution, Air France is doing everything it can to assist its customers and inform them in real time of developments in travel procedures. A dedicated website is available to them at airfrance.traveldoc.aero.
Since the start of the crisis, Air France has applied the strictest health measures and offers its customers total flexibility in their tickets, with the possibility of postponing or cancelling any trip planned before 31 December, 2021, free of charge and without proof. These measures are grouped under the Air France Protect label and are reviewed regularly as the situation evolves. They recently earned Air France 4 stars in the Skytrax "COVID-19 Safety Rating".
Catherine Villar, SVP Customer Experience - Air France, said “Improving and simplifying the customer experience is an ongoing priority for Air France. The testing of the AOKpass solution is fully in line with this framework and the approach initiated by the implementation of the Air France Protect label. We are convinced that the changes we are all currently experiencing will change the way we travel in the long term and are committed to supporting all innovation projects that can help us meet these new challenges. "
Sébastien Bedu, Product Manager – Airport services at MedAire, the International SOS Company specialising in support to the aviation and maritime industries, continued: « We are very pleased to support Air France with their test of the ICC AOKpass. We look forward to the successful implementation of the solution so as to reach our collective industry goal of safely opening the skies once again.”
1 AOK Pass is currently a partner of many laboratories around the world, including the Cerballiance and Biogroup groups in France.
