Emirates trials IATA Travel Pass on select routes

Emirates on 15th April 2021 started trials of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass on select routes from its hub at Dubai in UAE.

First trial on Barcelona flight

Passengers that flew from Dubai to Barcelona on EK185 on 15th April 2021 were the first customers to trial the ‘digital passport’ and share their pre-travel COVID-19 test status with Emirates.

The Dubai-based airline says that ‘the trials are a step towards making travel more convenient, enabling travellers to manage COVID-19 related documentation digitally, safely and seamlessly throughout the travel experience. In the future, travellers will also be able to share vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel.’

Presently, the trials are being done on selected Emirates flights from Dubai to Barcelona and London Heathrow to Dubai; and will soon be expanded to include other routes.

Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates, said:

The ability to process passengers’ COVID-19 relevant data for travel digitally will be the way forward. We are pleased to have been pioneers and partner with IATA in trialling this initiative in real time and soon will be launching other initiatives to further enhance our customer experience.

Emirates will personally invite eligible passengers to download the app and enrol for the digital travel pass ahead of their travels. In Dubai, the airline has partnered with select Prime Health Care labs which are authorised to securely send test results to passengers via the app. Those travelling from the UK, can get their test done at select Screen4 labs.

What is IATA Travel Pass?

IATA Travel Pass is a mobile application to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information.

It will have an integrated registry of travel requirements to enable passengers to find accurate information on travel and entry requirements for all destinations regardless of their itinerary.

Additionally, the Travel Pass will also include a registry of labs – 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 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.

Some of the airlines that have already trialled IATA Travel Pass include Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

Just another step to ensure customer safety by Emirates

Emirates has been taking every step to ensure the safety of customers during the pandemic. The carrier was one of the 1st to partner with International Air Travel Association for its upcoming IATA travel pass.

Emirates has also rolled out a touch-less self check-in experience at Dubai International Airport. Its new touchless screens can be operated by scanning a QR code and selecting seats, all without a single touch.

The airline has also made significant progress in vaccinating its own staff, with almost 26,000 employees receiving both the jabs of COVID-19 vaccine. It also operated a fully vaccinated flight from Dubai to Los Angeles, in which every single employee of the frontline team ( 70 in total ) were fully vaccinated.

Emirates recently operated its first flight with fully vaccinated passengers and crew including ground staff on 10th April 2021.

Featured image by Emirates

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