United Airlines Completes CommonPass Health Pass Trial, Paving the Way for Global Launch

Passengers in Terminal 2 at Heathrow, where United Airlines operates

United Airlines said it had “successfully trialed” a digital health pass as part of a global pilot program that seeks to establish a common international standard for COVID-19 test results and eventually vaccine records. The conclusion of this trial will allow the pass, called CommonPass, to be launched on routes across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East starting next month.

CommonPass is a non-profit initiative backed by the World Economic Forum and the Swiss-based foundation, the Commons Project.

Volunteer Passengers on United Flight 15 from London Heathrow to Newark Liberty International Airport documented their Covid-19 status by using the CommonPass health pass on their mobile phone to share it with airline staff meeting the flight.

Officials from the United States Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention observed the trial at Newark Airport as passengers disembarked.

The test came after a similar test with passengers on a Cathay Pacific flight and paved the way to a rollout of the digital health ass.

“Following these successful trials with Cathay Pacific and United Airlines, we begin the rollout of CommonPass with more of the world’s largest airlines,” said Paul Meyer, the Common Project’s CEO.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)