On Friday, Bahrain commenced a trial of the (IATA) health passport on Gulf Air flights to London, Athens, and Singapore. Travelers holding biometric passports heading to these destinations will be able to experience the application, which will assist them in managing their travel easily and securely in accordance with government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccination information. This initiative is part of a collaboration between the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Gulf Air.
Under this agreement, Gulf Air travelers will be able to create a "digital passport" that allows them to align their travel itineraries with the COVID-19 health requirements of their destination countries and verify their compliance with those requirements. Bahrain is among the first governments to participate in the IATA health passport trial with its national carrier to help pave the way for restoring global connectivity while managing COVID-19 risks simultaneously.
The IATA had authorized several hospitals in Bahrain to send COVID-19 test results to travelers via the application. The IATA health passport application will contain a comprehensive record of travel requirements, enabling travelers to find accurate information about entry and travel requirements for all destinations regardless of their flight path.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Gulf Air's acting CEO, Captain Walid Alalawi, stated, "Gulf Air is proud of its partnership with IATA as one of the first airlines in the world to start the trial of this application, as we look forward to launching it today on three of our network destinations. We appreciate the support provided to us from all stakeholders to ensure the success of this trial, which will allow travelers to fly with confidence."
In turn, IATA's vice president for airports, passengers, cargo, and security, Nick Careen, remarked, "We are proud to work with Gulf Air to trial the IATA health passport, and we hope that this live experience will demonstrate that governments can manage travel requirements efficiently while having full confidence in the traveler's identity and health credentials. This is an important step in enabling international travel during this pandemic, giving people confidence that they will meet all COVID-19 entry requirements."
