Emirates has partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to become one of the first airlines in the world to trial IATA Travel Pass – 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.
IATA Travel Pass 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 travellers to manage all
travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel
experience.
Prior to a full roll out, Emirates will implement phase 1 in Dubai for
the validation of COVID-19 PCR tests before departure. In this initial
phase, expected to begin 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.
Adel Al Redha Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “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.”
Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo
and Security said: “We’re proud to work with Emirates to make IATA
Travel Pass available in the Middle East region. With its global
customer base and network traffic, Emirates as a partner will also bring
invaluable input and feedback to improve the Travel Pass programme. This
is the first step in 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
re-open, 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.”
Within the IATA Travel Pass app, the integrated registry of travel
requirements will also 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.
