The Spanish Ministry of Health and AENA choose Atos to manage the health control form process for all passengers flying to Spain

Madrid and Paris, August 20, 2020

Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, has been chosen by the Spanish Ministry of Health and the Spanish airport operator AENA to manage the key health and travel information of all passengers flying to Spain. The digital solution, developed and managed by Atos, is called “Spain Travel Health” (SpTH). It gives travelers digital access to the mandatory health control form and provides them with a personal QR Code that will be scanned at the airport upon arrival in Spain. This solution puts Spain at the technological forefront of health and safety control and protection of passengers and citizens worldwide. Atos’ solution provides the Ministry of Health with the contact details of each passenger, as well as specific information about their flight and travel, in order to improve tracking capabilities, establish individual or group contact if necessary and perform statistical analysis targeted at improving health protection.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all passengers traveling to Spain are required to complete the “Passenger Locator Card, PLC”. This paper form is based on international standards and has now been adopted by several countries.

The Spanish Ministry of Health decided to go one step further and provide a digital solution that would streamline the process and eliminate the need for millions of passengers to fill in a paper document. The goal is to better protect the health of passengers and citizens, promote safe flying and tourism, simplify access to information and create a bank of data from which information can be easily extrapolated.

Atos delivered “Spain Travel Health” in only 25 days and the solution is now used in more than 40 Spanish airports. It allows passengers to complete the form digitally through a web portal or the mobile apps, SpTH, “Spain Travel Health-SpTH“, available for Android and Apple. In addition to personal information and contact details, the form contains information about the flight and seat numbers, travel information (including destinations that will be visited), and information on the risk and health status of passengers, especially in relation to Covid-19. Once completed, the form must be submitted digitally by passengers 48 hours prior to arriving in Spain so they can receive their unique and personal QR Code directly in the app and by email, as well as relevant health information and contact details from the Spanish health authorities.

Upon arrival in Spain, passengers are asked to show their QR code at the airport health control points to be able to continue their trip. The system allows airport authorities to control the flow of passengers in a very agile way and quickly decide which passengers should be directed to a second health control point, carried out by health professionals, based on the information provided by passengers and other controls such as temperature control measures with thermal imaging cameras.

The mobile app has been used by passengers from more than 200 countries and the solution manages the data from millions of passengers

 Since July 1^st, the digital form has already been used by travelers from more than 200 countries, generating several million QR Codes. Travelers from Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom are the main users of the system, which will allow the Spanish government to efficiently control the data of the millions of passengers travelling to Spain every year. There were more than 200 million in 2019.

Information on the new sanitary control protocol can be found on the app or the web portal. Travelers can also access the digital video channel explaining the process in several languages. Several countries, airports and private institutions have already shown interest in this innovative solution that improves passenger flow within airports and ensures everyone’s safety.

Although the vast majority of passengers choose to complete the digital form, the option to fill in the paper document remains available for now. Atos’s advanced solution allows handwritten information to be digitized in a few seconds and managed directly from the platform, as if it had been collected electronically.

Operating reports for the Ministry of Health, the Spanish Autonomous Communities and Aena

The application developed by Atos and based on artificial intelligence, data analytics and a sophisticated cloud environment, makes it possible to access individual passenger data or compile statistical reports based on different criteria, such as destinations in Spain, Autonomous Communities, flight or country of origin.

In case of suspected or confirmed contagion, the solution facilitates contact tracing during the entire duration of the trip, preventing public health risks from spreading.

The solution complies with strict protocols and regulations to guarantee data confidentiality and security, including GDPR, and compliance with the National Security Framewok (Esquema Nacional de Seguridad – ENS).

The Spanish government and the Autonomous Communities thus have a digital ally in the fight against COVID-19 and other health threats. Phase 2 of the project is already underway and will consist in further enhancing the capabilities of SpTH.

For more information about SpT, please visit: https://www.spth.gob.es/

To learn more about Atos’ Future Ready technologies and solutions, please visit: https://atos.net/en/future-ready