Digital Travel Pass will soon define the future of travel. And now, The International Air Transport Association (Iata) is ready to roll out the digital travel pass app in the upcoming weeks. The news was announced by its director-general, Willie Walsh, in an online conference.
IATA Digital Travel Pass To Rollout For Use In Upcoming Weeks
Speaking about the app and its progress, Walsh, in an online media conference, said that the app received positive feedback from the airlines in the Middle East and globally. He also confirmed that several regional and global carriers would launch the digital travel pass rules for flights. Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia and Gulf Air are the regional airlines conducting the trials of the IATA travel pass on select routes. So far, 60,000 passengers have registered to test the system.
Around 60,000 People Have Used The App Under Trial Process
The IATA travel pass is a mobile app, which will allow the passengers to create a digital passport with their testing and vaccination history in it, which then can be shared with the airlines without much hassle. The rollout of the mobile app will not only smoothen the travel process for the passengers but will also reduce pressure on airports and immigration check-points as the number of travellers increases.
While the IATA chief spoke about the digital travel pass and its benefits, he also lashed out at the airports and suppliers in the Middle East and Africa region- who increased the charges by higher margins to recover the losses incurred during the pandemic. He said,
“This this is very disappointing at a time when we’re hoping to see the industry restart,” Mr Walsh said, noting that the hikes will discourage airlines from increasing or recovering the capacity that they had in the market.