Emirates Airlines and Dubai Health Authority have partnered to develop a contactless system to eliminate the need for UAE residents to present a physical negative PCR test report or vaccination certificate. This collaboration will allow UAE residents to use their Emirates IDs at Dubai airport as proof of their PCR test result and vaccine status, without the need for presenting physical documents.

The two sides unveiled the new system in the presence of global delegates on the first day of Arab Health, the leading medical sector exhibition taking place in Dubai. The system allows passengers to insert their Emirates ID into the card reader at check-in desks at Dubai airport.

The system has been introduced with the aim of enhancing passengers' experience and boost the airport's management as the authorities prepare for thousands of families travelling abroad during summer.

Emirates airline chief operating officer Adel Al Redha noted that the 'unique' partnership with the Dubai Health Authority is the first step towards many more initiatives that will be launched in the near future to enhance passengers' safety and ease of travelling.

“This is a testament to Dubai’s progressive approach in delivering innovative digital solutions across all aspects of services," Al Redha said.

Dubai Health Authority and Emirates airline are currently working on facilitating full digital verification of COVID-19 medical records of passengers.

The authorities have underlined that the departures system is not compulsory for passengers. Instead, it aims to speed up check-in duration for UAE residents, a majority of whom carry their Emirates ID during their travel.

In this regard, Emirates has also assured its users that only COVID-19 related medical information will be accessed by the system in accordance with entry requirements across various destination countries. All other medical records of passengers will remain safe during the process.

"Once check-in is completed, information relating to medical records is discarded from the airline's system," airline officials affirmed.

In addition, a travel pass designed by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is now live which will facilitate safe sharing of COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates with the airlines. Leading airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia, and Gulf Air will be using the Iata travel pass on specific routes to ease the pressure on airports and immigration check-points. This has come in line with the approaching demand for international travel during summer.

Dubai Airports has also announced the reopening of Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport from June 24 to carry out the operations of the system.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths said that Dubai is expecting a huge surge in passenger demand in the coming weeks. Therefore, Dubai Airports is planning a major hiring spree to ensure smooth operations as more than 60 airlines are using Terminals 2 and 3 and shifting their operations to Terminal 1.

Months of fight against the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged the efforts to develop contactless technology to limit the spread of the virus during travel. Ahmed Al Nuaimi, CEO of Joint Corporate Support Services at the DHA, stated that the Dubai Health Authority has been strongly supporting the idea of paperless healthcare over the past few years with the aim of enhancing patient convenience and improving healthcare delivery.

“Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deployed and fostered the use of digital healthcare. This strategic foresight into investing in digital healthcare has paved the way today for such a pioneering integration," Al Nuaimi added.