Emirates begins IATA passport trials to simplify travel requirements
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Dubai's flag carrier Emirates began testing the mobile app IATA Travel Pass, developed in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday.
Passengers on Emirates flight EK183, which took off Thursday morning from Dubai to Barcelona, became the first passengers to test the digital passport to test and share the Covid-19 test status with Emirates before travelling. The IATA travel passport is devised to help passengers manage their travel easily and safely in line with any government requirements for Covid-19 tests or vaccines.
The experiments are a first step towards making travel more comfortable, enabling travellers to manage documents related to Covid-19 digitally, safely and smoothly throughout the travel experience. Future travellers will also be able to share vaccination certificates with authorities and air carriers to facilitate travel.
The Chief Operating Officer of Emirates Adel Al Redha said that the ability to process travel-related passenger data digitally is an important step forward, and the team is pleased to be pioneers and partners with IATA in the practical experience of this initiative. Redha also added that there are other initiatives to be launched later that will further enhance the experience of customers.
Trials are underway on selected Emirates flights from Dubai to Barcelona and from London Heathrow to Dubai and will soon expand to other routes.
The IATA Travel Pass passport app will have an integrated travel requirement register to permit passengers to find accurate information about travel and entry requirements to all destinations regardless of the itinerary. It will also include a laboratory record that enables travellers to find test and laboratory departure sites that meet testing standards and vaccination requirements at their destinations.
The Global Register, operated by IATA, will provide safe transport of required information among all relevant entities and provide a seamless experience for travellers.
Emirates was the first carrier to provide insurance coverage against various travel risks, including pandemic, on all flights.