SYNLAB announced Wednesday that it had signed an agreement with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to facilitate safe and easy travel by linking SYNLAB’s lab network with IATA’s Travel Pass.
Through the agreement, SYNLAB would securely share certified COVID-19 test results with passengers through IATA Travel Pass, providing reliable digital proof of health status as international travel increases.
“Verified COVID-19 testing is critical to restore the freedom to travel for people who are not vaccinated,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said. “IATA Travel Pass aims to make it as simple as possible for travelers to locate certified labs and securely receive the test results that governments require for entry. Adding SYNLAB’s extensive lab network will help travelers more easily ensure that they meet their COVID-19 travel requirements.”
Through SYNLAB’s international laboratory network, travelers will have access to up to 450 testing labs and more than 1,600 sample collection points across 36 countries, the companies said.
IATA Travel Pass allows passengers to locate authorized laboratories at departure locations to facilitate testing for SARS-CoV-2, as required by border and health authorities. After testing, SYNLAB will provide passengers with their test results directly through the IATA Travel Pass, which will check their results against the IATA Travel Pass registry of national entry requirements to give an “OK to Travel” status, if authorized. Passengers can then share their status and digital test certificates with authorities and airlines.
“We are pleased to partner with IATA to make travelling as safe as possible,” Mathieu Floreani, CEO of SYNLAB. “At a time when people around the world are resuming air travel, and different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are spreading, testing remains crucial. Testing is a central pillar in monitoring and controlling the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus. As the market leader in Europe for PCR testing, we have conducted 18 million PCR tests since the outbreak of the pandemic, underlining our strong expertise in this incredibly relevant field.”