Covid test results and the vaccine status of passengers on Emirates will be recognised by the EU through the use of the Iata Travel Pass, making travel from the UAE to the bloc easier, the airline has said.
The Dubai airline is working with Al Hosn National Health System so that its passengers flying from the UAE to the EU can use the Iata Travel Pass for digital proof of testing and vaccination, it said on Sunday.
Emirates passengers can download the Iata Travel Pass, scan the Al Hosn app’s Travel Pass QR Code and synchronise the required information.
UAE citizens and residents will also be able to upload PCR test results and vaccination certificates obtained anywhere in the country, without the need to visit specific labs.
The airline assured that passengers' health data would be stored in the national cloud "per the highest privacy standards and policies set by the UAE Data Protection Law".
The move makes it easier for Emirates passengers to benefit from the Iata Travel Pass and receive their “OK to Travel” status before departure to any EU destination on the airline’s network, it said.
By using the Al Hosn app, Emirates passengers travelling from the UAE to the EU can also show their Covid-19 status to easily enter hospitality and entertainment venues, attend events and take part in other experiences that require proof of negative test results or vaccination. This minimises the use of multiple apps to show testing and vaccination status while in the EU.
"As part of Emirates’ plan to implement digital travel verification and make the travel process more seamless, we’re boosting the customer experience across the full travel journey when it comes to the administration and uploading of test results and proof of vaccination, in partnership with Al Hosn," said Adel Al Redha, chief operating officer of Emirates.
"We’re always looking at ways to expand the functionality of the tools available to our customers like the Iata Travel Pass. Enabling the readability of Covid-19 testing and vaccination QR codes into the app for customers travelling to the EU is a major step to instill confidence."
Last week, the UAE said it was connected to the EU's Digital Covid Certificate system, making travel easier for residents vaccinated.
The decision means people vaccinated in the UAE will be able to use Al Hosn app in the same way the EU Digital Pass has been used since it was introduced during the summer.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate – the biggest vaccine passport scheme in the world – came into force in July, allowing bearers travelling within the bloc to prove, with a QR code, that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from the coronavirus. It can also be used as proof of a recent negative Covid test.
