ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, Africa’s leading airline is to trial IATA Travel Pass, a digital travel mobile app to enhance efficiency in testing or vaccine verifications and restart travel.

As travel restarts, travelers need accurate Covid-19-related information like testing and vaccine requirements which vary among countries. 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 future it will also manage vaccine certificates for travel.

Ethiopian has gone digital in all of its operations to avoid physical contact and combat the spread of the pandemic and now they embark on this initiative which will allow passengers to relish unparalleled flight experience.

Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines said: “Digital technology is vital to solve 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. Our customers will enjoy efficient, contactless and safer travel experience with their travel pass digital passport.

“As a safety first airline, we are going to be among the first to implement IATA’s travel pass initiative to facilitate travel. The new initiative will increase travelers’ confidence in travel, encourages governments to reopen their borders and expedites industry restart. “

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO added: “Ethiopian Airlines is helping to lay the foundation for a re-connected world in which health credentials – Covid-19 test results to vaccination certificates – will play a role. IATA Travel Pass securely enables travelers to control verified health credential data while sharing it with airlines and authorities as may be required in the travel process.

“That’s going to be vitally important when governments are able to re-open borders for travel. As an IATA Travel Pass trial partner, Ethiopian Airline customers will be among the first to experience its benefits.”

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. The digital travel app will also avoid fraudulent documentation and make air travel more convenient.