Covid-19 has definitely halted our travel plans and you're probably suffering from a serious case of wanderlust. But here's some good news! You can look forward to personal and leisure travel from the second half of 2021. That's according to the Director of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), in an interview with The Straits Times.
According to Iata Director Alexandre de Juniac, the organisation is working with states to plan protocols for the reopening of borders.
Credit: IATA on Facebook
One of the initiatives is the Iata Travel Pass, a mobile health verification app that allows travellers to view the Covid-19 test results and keeps records of their vaccination status. This will enable travellers to cut down the hassle of flying in a post-Covid world as airlines would be able to see travellers' health status in one place and confirm their flying status.
Singapore Airlines will be the world's first airline to begin testing the Iata Travel Pass app on flights from Singapore to London from 15-28 Mar 2021. Find out more about the app in our article here.
Travel will resume cautiously
Though this is great news, the Iata Director also mentioned that many countries will be cautious in reopening their borders as there are new Covid variants. But rest assured, procedures like vaccination, testing and safe air travel measures are underway. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will also be announcing its latest protocols on health and safety guidelines soon.
It will also take a while before travel resumes to pre-Covid days as fewer airlines will be flying. It's also expected that long-haul flights will not be making a comeback anytime soon.
P.S. Planning to head to Japan next time? Check out these IG-worthy spots in West Japan!
Even though it'll be a long process before travel gets back on its feet, this news is definitely something to celebrate. Even if far destinations are not an option, it'll be the perfect opportunity for you to explore destinations nearer to home. Where will you go when borders open? Let us know in the comments section!
P.S. Is Australia on your travel list? Check out the top things to do in our article!