Following successful trials, Etihad Airways has expanded the IATA Travel Pass to flights between Abu Dhabi and seven additional destinations on its network.
The IATA Travel Pass is now available for all Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Milan, New York, and Singapore, and provides the convenience of a one-stop platform for managing COVID-19 documentation.
“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.
“IATA Travel pass was designed to provide a one-stop-shop solution for travellers to safely and efficiently manage their COVID-19 documentation and generate an ‘OK to Travel’ which airlines can trust. It’s great to see the app in use facilitating the restart of international travel.”
Etihad Airways was among the first airlines in the world 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.
Guests can use the IATA Travel Pass by downloading 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 IATA Travel Pass app also allows you to upload vaccination certificates, allowing you to travel to places where vaccination is required. Currently, the app accepts EU Digital Covid Certificates issued by all 27 European Union member states, as well as Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Lichtenstein, as well as vaccine certificates from Singapore and Qatar.
As vaccines become more widely available, more travellers will be able to upload their government-issued COVID vaccine certificates to facilitate seamless travel.
The airline continues to work closely with IATA to gradually complete the digital pass through its route network to more cities.
By Joe Cusmano