PR88773

HONG KONG, March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Hong Kong Airlines will trial a digital health passport as part of the

carrier's ongoing contributions towards the safe reopening of borders and

international travel. Developed by the International Air Transport Association

(IATA), a globally-recognised trade organisation and advocate for airlines,

Travel Pass will provide travellers with easy access to COVID-19 entry

requirements for their destination and accredited testing centres at their

point of departure. The app also enables passengers to link their COVID-19 test

results to a digital version of their passport created through the app.

Under this trial, Hong Kong Airlines will work closely with IATA to test its

Lab App, a key module in Travel Pass. Passengers on a selected route will be

invited to participate by first downloading the app and creating a digital

profile before selecting a participating medical service provider for testing.

A secure, encrypted channel will then enable the registered laboratory to

verify the passenger's identity and directly send the outcome of the COVID-19

test, or proof of vaccination to the traveller's mobile device. This will be

checked against IATA's global registry of COVID-19 health requirements, a

system used by the majority of airlines and airports globally, to ensure

regulatory requirements are complied, before the passenger receives an "OK to

Travel".

Hong Kong Airlines Director of Service Delivery Mr Chris Birt applauds the

customer-oriented digital initiative from IATA, which will help both travellers

and airlines manage verifiable health credentials for future travel.

"Hong Kong Airlines has been working hard to make travel safe for our

customers. We welcome the opportunity to contribute our inputs into the

development of Travel Pass and will continue to support IATA's efforts in

leading the recovery of international travel. Given the constantly changing

environment of the current pandemic and frequent modification of border

restrictions by governments, Travel Pass is undoubtedly the best go-to app for

passengers to access the most updated travel information, ensure they comply

with the latest entry requirements and allow them to manage their digital

health documents in a safe and secure way," he added.

"Restarting international aviation safely has been at the forefront of IATA's

Travel Pass initiative. We are proud to partner Hong Kong Airlines to trial the

app and demonstrate that this technology can securely, conveniently and

efficiently help manage passenger travel health credentials," said Nick Careen,

IATA's Senior Vice President Airport, Passenger, Cargo, Security.

The Airport Authority of Hong Kong and the Office of the Government Chief

Information Officer are observers to the trial with Hong Kong Airlines.

Safe Travels with Hong Kong Airlines

Hong Kong Airlines is committed to delivering the highest level of safety and

customer service standards. Preventive measures that are currently in place not

only comply with regulatory requirements, but align with industry

recommendations. Learn more here(

https://hx.hongkongairlines.com/en_HK/fly-with-us/our-services/flysafe ).

Hong Kong has recently announced the easing of quarantine requirements for

inbound travellers. The 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a designated hotel,

followed by a week of self-monitoring will apply to travellers arriving from

low-risk places as well as those arriving from medium-risk places and have been

vaccinated. The government is also in discussions with 16 countries on allowing

people who have been vaccinated to travel.

To ensure everyone is adequately protected at all times, Hong Kong Airlines

crew are regularly tested and have signed up for vaccination in the city's

inoculation drive. In addition to COVID-19 testing, passengers are also

encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible to meet entry requirements for

travel in the foreseeable future.

https://cutt.ly/gxhHBh6

corpcomm@hkairlines.com

+852-6461-4382

SOURCE  Hong Kong Airlines

Image Attachments Links:

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   Caption: Hong Kong Airlines to trial IATA's Travel Pass

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   Caption: Hong Kong Airlines A330

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   Caption: Hong Kong Airlines crew were among the first in the city to be vaccinated

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   Caption: A Hong Kong Airlines crew receives her vaccine