Qatar Airways becomes first Mideast carrier to start trials of IATA travel pass

Qatar Airways is the first regional carrier to deploy the IATA travel pass app in trials. (Supplied)

• One of four regional carriers to trial pass
• Could speed pace of air travel recovery

DUBAI: Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the Middle East to begin trials of the new IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ mobile app.
The global aviation body hopes the app will speed the return of international travel as its member airlines continue to operate in survival mode amid plummeting passenger numbers.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of trialing this platform, being one of the first globally and the first airline in the Middle East to trial the technology,” said Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker.
Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad and Gulf Air have all signed up for the trial phase of the digital travel pass.
Passengers on the airline’s Doha to Istanbul route will become the first group to experience the app, the airline said in a statement
The e-pass includes documented health information about passengers, such as checks and vaccinations, as well as specific country requirements related to COVID-19 precautions.