Qantas successfully trials CommonPass COVID app

Qantas says it has successfully trialled technology that could allow Australians to travel internationally again.

Qantas is trialling a smartphone app carrying passengers’ health information before the planned resumption of international flights on October 31. Picture: Jeremy Piper.

Technology that promises to unlock the door to the resumption of international travel has been successfully trialled by Qantas on a repatriation flight from Frankfurt to Sydney.

All passengers were invited to upload the CommonPass smartphone app previously tested by crew on an international flight last month.

The app connects passengers to certified testing labs so COVID test results can be uploaded to the platform, and travellers can show they have proof of a negative result before flying.

Anyone boarding a flight into Australia is required to have a negative COVID result.

Qantas Group chief customer officer Stephanie Tully said a digital health pass would assist airlines and governments globally to facilitate safe international travel when borders reopen.

“We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that,” said Ms Tully.

“COVID test results and proof of vaccine will be required in many countries for quarantine-free travel, just as it has been for polio and yellow fever vaccinations in the past.”

Qantas says it hopes to integrate the COVID passport into its own app in the future. Picture: Chris Kidd

She said the app was not compulsory for customers during the trial but longer term they hoped to integrate the technology with the existing Qantas app for ease of use.

“Ultimately we’re focused on ensuring that the process will be as seamless as possible for our customers to share this information so they can travel internationally again,” Ms Tully said.

CEO of the Commons Project Foundation, Paul Meyer, said the CommonPass app aimed to provide a secure, private and trusted service for Australian travellers.

“We look forward to supporting the efforts of Qantas, the Australian government and the nation’s healthcare system to safely reopen the country to international travel,” he said.

Qantas was also assessing the International Air Transport Association travel pass, ahead of the planned resumption of regular overseas passenger flights from October 31.

The airline was working closely with the government, airports and industry partners as it progressed through the trials with the common goal of developing “secure and seamless solutions”.

The federal government announced last month that vaccination certificates would be issued and made available through the Medicare and MyGov apps.

Qantas was hopeful customers could elect to have that medical information integrated with their clearance to travel in a secure way and in accordance with global privacy regulations.