Emirates to use IATA Travel Pass app on all routes

The Dubai-based airline will launch the Covid-19 health app across its global network 

Emirates plans to introduce the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass, a Covid-19 health tracking app on all routes across its global network. The app is currently being tested by airlines around the world.

Emirates was among the first airlines to run trials of the mobile app in April 2021. It currently uses the app on flights to 10 cities in Europe and the US including London, Barcelona, Madrid, Istanbul, Moscow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and New York.

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Passengers on these flights will be prompted to download the app and can use it to gain access to the latest Covid-19 travel information, including the location of PCR test labs, and manage their Covid-19 travel documents, such as vaccination certificates and PCR test results.

The app is now available to iOS and Android users and can be used by passengers with non-biometric passports.

IATA is urging all governments to allow the integration of digital Covid-19 certificates into passenger applications such as the IATA Travel Pass to relieve pressure on airports and immigration check-points as travel rebounds. Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia and Gulf Air are among the regional airlines conducting IATA Travel Pass trials on selected routes.

Emirates chief operating officer Adel Al Redha said: “From our biometrics path at Dubai International to initiatives like the IATA Travel Pass and integration with the health authority databases, these projects deliver multiple benefits, from better customer experiences and reduced use of paper to improved efficiency and reliability in travel document checks.” 

IATA director general Willie Walsh said earlier this month that the IATA Travel Pass is ready to go live globally within weeks.