Etihad Airways joins IATA Travel Pass trials

Guests travelling with Etihad Airways before May 31st will be among the first to trial the IATA Travel Pass app to manage their travel health credentials.

The new technology will be tried on routes from Abu Dhabi to Chicago, New York, Washington and Toronto.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “With the dynamically changing health requirements for travel, Etihad believes that a digital health passport solution will provide additional clarity and ease for travellers.

“Etihad has partnered with IATA so that together, a globally unified approach to a travel pass can be simplified to make travel easier once governments decide what regulations are required to cross borders in either direction.”

Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines are among the other carriers trialling the app.

To participate in the trial, guests simply download the IATA Travel Pass app from the Apple App Store and book an appointment with Life Diagnostics at Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street or BioGenix Labs at Masdar City.

At the clinic, guests inform reception they are participating in the IATA Travel Pass trial and should be ready to show their passport and mobile device with the IATA Travel Pass app downloaded.

Once the test result is ready, travellers will be able to view it on both the IATA Travel Pass app and through the testing clinic’s own digital platform.

“Etihad Airways trial of IATA Travel Pass will help build confidence among governments and travellers that digital health apps can safely, securely and conveniently help restart aviation.

“The app gives travellers a one-stop-shop to help them comply with the new rules for travel, and for governments complete assurance in the identity of the passenger and the authenticity of the travel credentials being presented,” said Nick Careen, IATA senior vice president for airport, passenger, cargo and security.

The IATA Travel Pass will enable Etihad’s guests to create a ‘digital passport’ to receive Covid test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey.