Joining the growing list of airlines putting the IATA Travel Pass to the test, Kuwait-based low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways will trial the digital health passport for its flights as well. Joining carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and more, the airline highlights that it will be the first budget airline in the region to adopt the application
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“Travel Pass has been successfully tested with a number of airlines and Jazeera will be the first low-cost airline in the region to join the development and roll-out. We will support them in every way we can to implement it quickly for the airline and its passengers.” -Kamil Al Awadhi, IATA Regional VP (Africa and the Middle East)
Verifying test document authenticity
Jazeera Airways confirmed last week that it would go into testing of the IATA Travel Pass- a mobile app that enables travelers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines.
The application will also provide governments with the means to verify the authenticity of tests or vaccinations, as well as the identity of those presenting their certificates. For airlines, it can provide accurate information to passengers regarding test requirements, verifying that a passenger meets all health-related requirements to fly.
“We are pleased to be working with IATA on this significant technological development for international air travel. It is important for Kuwait that we are part of this global solution to enable citizens and residents to travel safely.’’ -Rohit Ramachandran, CEO Jazeera Airways via official statement
An airline spokesperson tells Simple Flying that the pass will be adopted on all routes. While the end date for the trial is still not set, the carrier is aiming to roll it out in the next two months.
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Joining a growing list of airlines
While Jazeera Airways is the first budget airline in the Middle East region to trial the pass, it is far from the first carrier in the world to do so. The following is a partial list of airlines that have trialed IATA’s digital health passport, along with associated routes:
- ANA: Tokyo to Honolulu and Tokyo to New York JFK.
- Emirates: Dubai-Barcelona. The airline also trialed the app for flights going in one direction, from London Heathrow to Dubai.
- Ethiopian Airlines: Addis Ababa to Washington Dulles and to Toronto Pearson. Ethiopian also accepted the pass for flights to Addis from London Heathrow.
- Saudia: Kuala Lumpur-Jeddah.
- SWISS: Zurich-London Heathrow.
Notably, as of May 1st, passengers traveling to Singapore have been able to use the pass as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and IATA. This made Singapore the first country where government, airline, and IATA worked together on one system for opening up travel.
Ensuring digital security, reducing touchpoints
Jazeera Airways notes that this digital solution will allow travelers to store their passport, COVID-19 vaccination data and negative test results in one place. At the same time, the airline highlights that this personal data is secure. The Travel Pass will be integrated into the Jazeera App to make the system convenient.
A travel survey recently conducted by Jazeera revealed the importance of contactless journeys for passengers. Responses showed a very high preference (over 90%) for self-check-in alternatives, mobile boarding passes and e-gates when traveling.
If you’ve used the IATA Travel Pass already, share your experiences with us in the comments.
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