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Covid-19: How airlines are ensuring safe, smooth passenger travel

Dubai - Introduction of vaccine passports and other such measures making it easier for passengers to travel.

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Airlines in the UAE and around the world have been consistently embracing innovative measures for smooth passenger travel experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Industry executives believe that introduction of vaccine passports and other such measures will provide health data of the travellers to airlines and governments around the world about the health of the passengers, hence, making it easier for the passengers to travel. Below is the list of some of the measures taken by the aviation industry for smoother passenger travel and to expedite the recovery of the sector.

IATA Travel Pass

The Travel Pass mobile app by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is aimed at re-opening borders without quarantine and restart aviation governments need to be confident that they are effectively mitigating the risk of importing Covid-19. This means having accurate information on passengers’ Covid-19 health status.

The app helps travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for Covid-19 tests or vaccines. It helps governments to verify the authenticity of tests or vaccinations and the identity of those presenting their certificates. A number of UAE and other Gulf carriers are using IATA’s Travel Pass.

UAE-GCC Covid-19 vaccine passport

The UAE and other Gulf countries are also working on a digital Covid-19 passport which could be an advanced form of UAE’s Al Hos mobile app. It would be certification, verification and validation system for smoother passenger travel experience. The app will have carry vaccination and Covid-19 test data as well pre-travel eligibility requirements for the destinations.

EU Covid-19 travel certificate pass

European Union is also working on a Covid-19 certificate to help citizens travel more freely across the 27-nation bloc and open up summer tourism. The certificate would be handed out for free by health authorities to people who received a vaccine, had a negative test or are immune, having recovered from Covid. But no one will be obliged to use the certificate.

WEF’s CovidPass

World Economic Forum’s CovidPass uses blockchain technology to store encrypted data from individual blood tests, allowing users to prove that they have tested negative for Covid-19. Unlike contact tracing apps, CovidPass will not track users’ movements.

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE