Ethiopia’s national flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines on Friday announced its plan to trial the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass, a digital travel mobile app to enhance efficiency in testing and vaccine verifications and restart travel.
The move came amid the travel restarts and the subsequent need for accurate COVID-19-related information for travelers that includes testing and vaccine requirements, which vary among countries.
According to Ethiopian Airlines, the IATA Travel Pass initiative helps verify the authenticity of test information presented by travelers which is essential for ensuring the safety of passengers while complying with entry requirements of countries.
In the future, the initiative will also manage vaccine certificates for travel, it was noted.
Amid growing COVID-19 precautionary measures, Ethiopian Airlines has gone digital in all of its operations to avoid physical contact and combat the spread of the pandemic.
Tewolde Gebremariam, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, said digital technology is vital to solving many of the problems that arise from the pandemic.
“We are glad that we are offering new digital opportunities to our passengers so as to fully and safely restart air travel,” Gebremariam said, adding customers will enjoy an efficient, contactless and safer travel experience with their travel pass digital passport.
According to Gebremariam, the new initiative will increase travelers’ confidence in travel, encourage governments to reopen their borders and expedite industry restart.
The Travel Pass will help create a digital passport, receive test and vaccination certificates and verify that they are sufficient for their route, and share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel, it was noted.
The digital travel app is said to help avoid fraudulent documentation and make air travel more convenient.
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