Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of international travel and operated the World’s first fully COVID-19 vaccinated flight on the 6th April 2021 it states. The flight was operated with an A350-1000 carrying only vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. The special flight showcased all the measures the airline has put in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board, with the world’s first ‘Zero-Touch’ in-flight entertainment technology.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “Today’s special flight demonstrates the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away. We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation. With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in the State of Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day.
It is in Qatar Airways DNA to be at the forefront, setting the highest standards of safety and customer service. Before the pandemic, Qatar Airways became the first and only airline to be awarded the Skytrax Airline of the Year five times. When the pandemic hit its peak in early April, our airline continued flying to help repatriate millions of stranded passengers and transport essential medical supplies, while also implementing the latest innovations in biosafety and hygiene. As the vaccine rollout begins to gather pace worldwide, Qatar Airways remains committed to being the airline passengers and travel partners can rely on, operating one of the largest global networks to provide the connectivity needed to reunite families and friends and support global trade.
Qatar Airways Cargo has also played a vital role in maintaining a reliable schedule across our network of destinations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has helped transport more than 500,000 tonnes of medical supplies and delivered close to 20,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 20 countries.”
Qatar Airways is the first airline in the Middle East to begin trials of the innovative new IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ mobile app. IATA’s first Travel pass trial on a first International flight was with Singapore Airlines arriving at London Heathrow Airport on the 17th of March 2021.
IATA stated that digital health certificates will be a key feature in air travel moving forward. Establishing trusted, secure solutions to verify the health credentials of travelers will be critical in facilitating smooth air travel and safeguarding public health. The IATA Travel Pass is a personal secure digital wallet solution that can be used by passengers to obtain and store their COVID-19 test results from accredited laboratories.
More than 20 airlines have announced trials of the IATA Travel Pass. IATA said Singapore’s government had approved the use of its Travel Pass app to verify pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test results. From May 1, travelers to Singapore can use the IATA Travel Pass to show their COVID-19 test results to airline staff at check-in and to immigration officials on arrival at Changi Airport.
