Emirates has become one of the first airlines in the world to trial IATA Travel Pass, a digital platform for COVID-19 updates and test verification. It has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to become one of the first airlines in the world to trial the platform.
IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. It enables Emirates passengers to create a ‘digital passport’ to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination.
They will also be able to share the test and vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. The new app will also enable travelers to manage all travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel experience.
Emirates will implement phase 1 in Dubai for the validation of COVID-19 PCR tests before departure in April. Emirates customers travelling from Dubai will be able to share their COVID-19 test status directly with the airline even before reaching the airport through the app, which will then auto-populate the details on the check-in system.
“While international travel remains as safe as ever, there are new protocols and travel requirements with the current global pandemic. We have worked with IATA on this innovative solution to simplify and digitally transmit the information that is required by countries and governments into our airline systems, in a secure and efficient manner.
“We are proud to be one of the first airlines in the world to pilot this initiative, which will provide an enhanced customer experience and conveniently facilitate our customers’ travel needs,” Adel Al Redha Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer noted.
Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security stated that they were proud to work with Emirates to make IATA Travel Pass available in the Middle East region, with its global customer base and network traffic.
She also noted that Emirates as a partner would bring invaluable input and feedback to improve the Travel Pass programme.
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The move is a step towards making international travel during the pandemic as convenient as possible, giving people the confidence that they are meeting all COVID-19 entry requirements by governments.
“As borders reopen, IATA Travel Pass will be further enhanced with more capabilities to meet all governments testing or vaccination verification requirements and Emirates customers will be among the first to have these services,” Careen disclosed.
Within the IATA Travel Pass app, the integrated registry of travel requirements will enable passengers to find accurate information on travel and entry requirements for all destinations regardless of where they are travelling from.
It will also include a registry of testing and, eventually, vaccination centres making it more convenient for passengers to find testing centres and labs at their departure location which meet the standards for testing and vaccination requirements of their destination.
The platform will also enable authorized labs and test centres to securely send test results or vaccination certificates to passengers. The global registry, managed by IATA, will manage and allow the secure flow of necessary information amongst all stakeholders and to provide a seamless passenger experience.
Emirates is committed to providing a seamless customer experience at all touchpoints. In the last few months, it has introduced a smart contactless journey with an integrated biometric path and other services including self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at Dubai International airport for a smoother airport experience.
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