Ethiopia Airlines has announced that it will be trialing IATA’s Travel Pass – a digital health passport that will make the verification of COVID-19 tests and vaccinations easier for the carrier. The Airlines is now the first African carrier to run through a test of the mobile app, joining other airlines such as Emirates, SWISS, Singapore Airlines, and more.

 “Ethiopian has gone digital in all of its operations to avoid physical contact and combat the spread of the pandemic and now, embarks on this initiative which will allow passengers to relish unparalleled flight experience.” -Ethiopian Airlines official statement

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The IATA Travel Pass, which will help verify the authenticity of test information presented by travelers, will be used by Ethiopian Airlines on two flights out of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD):

Washington D.C. – Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

For flights to Addis Ababa, two airports will participate in this trial:

London Heathrow (LHR)

Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

The airline notes that this was effective as of April 25th, 2021, meaning that the trial is already underway.

Ethiopian flights to Toronto and Washington include technical stops, but this has not been included in the map to reduce confusion.

According to Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines says that digital technology is vital to solving many of the problems that arise from the pandemic, “We are glad that we are offering new digital opportunities to our passengers so as to fully and safely restart air travel. Our customers will enjoy efficient, contactless and safer travel experience with their travel pass digital passport. As a safety first airline, we have become the first African airline to trail IATA’s travel pass initiative to facilitate travel.”

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For those still unfamiliar with IATA’s Travel Pass, the mobile app is designed to be a digital health passport of sorts, which will receive test and vaccination certificates and verify that they are sufficient for the traveler’s specific route.

The app will share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. “The digital travel app will also avoid fraudulent documentation and make air travel more convenient,” the airline’s official messaging adds.

Meanwhile, Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo, and Security, hopes that Ethiopian’s leadership will lead to other carriers on the continent following suit. As part of the airline’s official statement, Careen urges governments in Africa to “accelerate the acceptance of digital health credentials for travel across the continent.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Africa’s leading commercial carrier, Ethiopian Airlines Group has announced as part of efforts aimed to protecting its millions of passengers from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic that it will cover the medical insurance including repatriation, evacuation and quarantine costs related to COVID-19 as of 01st of October 2020 until 31st of March 2021. The coverage is applicable on all Ethiopian’s international flights booked with the airline’s tickets.The global cover dubbed Sheba Comfort is part of the airline’s extra security measures to protect passengers and ensure that they travel with peace of mind. 

Passengers will have their medical expenses up to EUR 100,000 covered if they are diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel in addition to quarantine costs up to EUR 150 per day for a maximum of 14 days. Sheba Comfort also includes repatriation and evacuation services whenever needed besides 24/7 assistance through the airline’s hotline. 

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Remarking on the global cover, Ethiopian Group CEO, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said, “We are glad to be among the pioneer global airlines to introduce this extra security measure and provide global cover for COVID-19 with a view to boost passengers’ confidence. Our Sheba Comfort insurance scheme is part of the measures we have been taking to ensure the health and wellbeing of passengers on the ground and onboard. As the travel safety continues to evolve by the day, we will always be at the forefront of adopting all necessary changes to ensure the safety of our passengers as our top priority.” 

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The Sheba Comfort insurance scheme, introduced in collaboration with AXA Partners and Awash Insurance Company, is valid for 92 days for round trip and 31 days for one-way trip. It is to be recalled that Ethiopian recently unveiled an ultra-modern, spacious passenger terminal which is completed with emphasis on biosecurity and biosafety measures

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

As part of its bigger dreams of expanding its global hub at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Africa’s leading airline, Ethiopian unveils its new Aviation Infrastructure, the first of its kind in Africa by blending Modernity with Bio Safety.

Ethiopian Airlines Group has successfully completed a new passenger terminal at its hub Addis Ababa Bole International Airport with emphasis on Bio Security and Bio-Safety measures.

The new terminal has check-in hall with 60 check-in counters, 30 self-check-in kiosks, 10 self-bag drop/SBD/, 16 immigration counters with more e-gate provisions, 16 central security screening areas for departing passengers are the new faces of the airport. In addition, it has three contact gates for wide-body aircraft along with 10 remote contact gates with people mover – travellator, escalator, and panoramic lifts. It will house 32 arrival immigration counters with eight e-gate provisions at the mezzanine floor level.

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Regarding the expanded infrastructure, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines remarked, “I am very pleased to witness the realization of a brand-new terminal at our Hub. While Addis Ababa Bole International Airport has overtaken Dubai to become the largest gateway to Africa last year, the new terminal will play a key role in cementing that position. What makes the new terminal unique is that it’s the first terminal in the world to be completed after Covid-19. It was designed, not re-purposed, with Biosafety and Biosecurity in mind. I’m sure our esteemed customers will highly appreciate that.”

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Aviation infrastructure expansion is one of the core pillars of Ethiopian’s Vision 2025. Ethiopian is continuously working on expanding airport facilities. The features of the new airport play a key role in protecting passengers’ and employees’ safety as airport experience becomes contactless.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry