Qatar Airways, in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), announced that it is launching trials of the new IATA Travel Pass Digital Passport mobile app in March 2021.

The trial would play a key role in the airline's perception of providing a smoother, safer, and more seamless passenger travel experience, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

The first phase of testing on the Doha-Istanbul route to Digital Passport will be launched so that passengers can be checked COVID-19 and ensure that they are eligible to fly.

The system will allow travellers to securely and safely share with the airline and other stakeholders their verified 'OK to travel' status even before they reach the airport.

IATA Travel Pass will also include up-to-date details on COVID-19 health provisions that improve travellers' compliance with their country of destination's most recent government entry requirements.

"The IATA Travel Pass effectively acts as a digital passport for travellers and is the latest tool in our fight against the spread of COVID-19, enabling passengers to securely and effortlessly navigate their travel plans, safe in the knowledge that their verified travel credential is based on the latest COVID-19 information, the strictest data privacy regulations and entry rules for the destination they will travel to," Al Baker added.

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO, said: "Qatar Airways is showing its industry leadership. 

“IATA Travel Pass will verify testing or vaccination credentials of travellers, which is the key to unlocking travel without quarantine measures. The Qatar Airways digital passport trial will help us build confidence among governments and travellers that IATA Travel Pass can securely and conveniently link traveller identities with their digital travel credentials.

“It will also help us prove that ICAOs global standards for digital passports work. And it will highlight the need for governments to accelerate their work with industry to develop global standards for health certificates a critical enabler to safely re-connecting the world."