Qatar Airways starts trials of COVID-19 digital passports: CEO

Doha: Qatar Airways has started testing a COVID-19 digital passport developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Group Chief Executive Officer Akbar Baker has said in an interview with Sputnik.

The airline will take part in the upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) as part of the delegation of Qatar, which is this year's guest country. The event will take place in person from Wednesday through Saturday at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

"As the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating, the first airline in the Middle East to begin trials of the innovative new IATA Travel Pass 'Digital Passport' mobile app, and most recently, the first airline in the world to operate a flight with fully vaccinated crew and passengers - it is in our core to continuously be at the forefront of innovation, and to keep implementing the latest safety and hygiene measures both on board and on the ground," Baker said.

The Travel Pass app is said to allow travelers to document vaccine and test history with authorities at national borders and in airports.

The Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, the umbrella media organization that includes such brands as Sputnik, RIA Novosti, InoSMI, and Baltnews, among others, is an official media partner of SPIEF-2021. (UNI)