Dubai: Etihad airways on Wednesday said it has expanded IATA Travel Pass on flights between Abu Dhabi and seven destinations across its network.
The Travel Pass initiative allows passengers to have a digital passport verified with all their pre-travel test or vaccination details to meet the requirements at the end destination. They are also able to share test and vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate smoother processing at airports.
It is available for guests on all Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Milan, New York and Singapore and offers the “convenience of a one-stop platform for managing COVID-19 documentation,” said the airline.
“The feedback from the IATA Travel Pass trial has been positive, with Etihad’s guests appreciating its ease-of-use and data security,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer at Etihad Aviation Group.
Etihad airways, along with Emirates airline and Qatar Airways, was one of the first airlines globally to begin testing IATA Travel Pass in April, 2021 in support of a global, standardised solution for travellers to validate their documents and navigate COVID-19 travel requirements.
“Etihad’s decision to expand IATA Travel Pass based on positive customer feedback is a strong endorsement of the solution,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.
How does it work?
To access the IATA Travel Pass, guests need to download the IATA Travel Pass app for Android or iOS, where they can add their Etihad Airways travel itinerary, view their travel requirements and securely share their PCR test results.
The app also includes functionality to upload vaccination certificates, opening up opportunities for travel where vaccination is a requirement. Currently the app is able to accept EU Digital COVID certificates issued by all 27 member states of the European Union plus Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Lichtenstein as well as vaccine certificates from Singapore and Qatar.
Etihad said it was continuing to work closely with IATA to progressively roll out the digital travel pass to more cities across its route network.
