UAE’s second-largest airline, Etihad Airways has collaborated with the global aviation agency, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to launch the IATA Travel Pass for its passengers.
The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that lets passengers easily and securely manage their travel, following the government requirements for COVID-19 tests or vaccinations.
IATA Travel Pass will initially be given to Etihad’s guests on selected flights from Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2021. If successful, the pass will be extended to other locations on the Etihad network, as per Etihad Airways.
The IATA Travel Pass will allow Etihad guests to create a digital passport to obtain the results of the COVID test and verify that they are eligible to undertake their journey. It will also make it convenient for passengers to manage travel documentation throughout their journey.
Mohammad Al Bulooki COO – Etihad
“COVID-19 tests and vaccinations will be key to get the world flying again. Since 1 August 2020, Etihad is the only airline requiring a pre-departure negative PCR test result for all passengers worldwide, and again on arrival in Abu Dhabi, giving our guests the added assurance of safety when they travel with us. A high priority for Etihad is for our guests to have an easy, secure, and efficient way to identify and verify their information. Being one of the first airlines globally working with IATA as a pioneer partner on the IATA Travel Pass is a big step forward for Etihad’s guests and for the industry.”
Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo, and Security said, “The Etihad Airways partnership to launch the IATA Travel Pass is an important milestone on the road to meaningfully restarting international travel. We aim to give all governments the confidence to re-open borders to travelers based on the verified vaccine and testing data. The initial stage of the Etihad launch will focus on all four elements of the IATA Travel Pass modules, one of the first airlines in the world to do so.”
IATA Travel Pass has been developed as four independent modules that can interact with each other. These modules cover registries for regulatory entry requirements and labs or test centers, verified certificate issuance, digital identity, and the possibility for passengers to share their test results along their journey via their mobile device. IATA has developed these modules to ensure they are interoperable with other industry solutions.
According to the reports, UAE’s flag carrier Emirates has also partnered with IATA to adopt the global aviation body’s Travel Pass, to help passengers better manage their journeys.
