London International Airport Hopes National Vaccine Passport Will Help Travel Industry Rebound – London | The Canadian News

The recent announcement by the federal government around a national test of the COVID-19 vaccine system is a welcome step for those in the travel industry who expect to see a rebound in the air travel industry.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled plans for a national vaccine passport that Canadians can use from province to province, as well as for international travel.

Michael Seabrook, chairman and chief executive officer of London International Airport, said the move is expected to help restore people’s confidence in air travel.

The key to recovering, he said, comes down to more planes in the air, more passengers and confidence in travel safety after the pandemic.

“The vaccination mandates required for travel are there to instill confidence in people that they can travel safely and get from point A to point B.”

Looking at how the industry has rounded up since the pandemic, Seabrook said it has been slow, with some airports still down 20 to 35 percent of what they used to be before COVID-19.

The Canadian government still advises against nonessential travel, but said those who do must upload the certificate to the ArriveCan app to return to the country.

Travelers are also cautioned that the new document does not guarantee entry to other countries, and said that people should check with their destinations for COVID-19 travel restrictions before departing.

“It will be a step, for the vast majority of people, in virtual check-in where they simply have to scan their QR code, and they will get a boarding pass that is clearly marked ‘approved vaccination.’ no real slowdown, ”Trudeau said.

Those who download the provincial proof of vaccination document will be ready if it has the federal seal of approval in the upper right corner.

“We don’t want to overcomplicate this whole vaccination process, which is why they are trying to be so straightforward and easy to process passengers from check-in to appointment,” Seabrook said.

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that vaccinations would be mandatory for anyone over the age of 12 traveling by plane or train within Canada before October 30.

“If you’ve done the right thing and been vaccinated, you deserve the freedom to be safe from COVID,” Trudeau said. “These travel measures, along with mandatory vaccinations for federal employees, are some of the strongest in the world.”

Regarding travel, there will be a period during which people who are in the process of vaccination can present a negative COVID-19 test, but that option will expire on November 30.

–With files from Rachel Gilmore and Aaron D’Andrea of ​​Global