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Affinidi partners with Etihad Airways to advance the aviation industry’s ability to process COVID-19 test results more efficiently


  • Etihad Airways is the first airline to participate in Affinidi’s Healthcare Network Assessment (HNA) Program.

Affinidi, a Singapore-based technology company, has partnered with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, to advance the aviation industry’s ability to digitally read, authenticate and validate COVID-19 test results, enabling a more efficient and seamless travel experience for travelers.


Currently,   travelers   are required   to   book   pre-departure   tests   (PDT)   at   accredited   healthcare Institutions  and  present  the  health  reports  with  negative  test  results  to  airlines  and  immigration authorities before they can board their flights. However, the lack of a global standard for digital health credentials impedes the verification process.


Affinidi’s  goal  is  to  enhance  its  travel  verification  and  interoperable  solution  that  reads  and authenticates various verifiable QR codes on health reports in a confidential manner, regardless of the issuing authority and format, allowing airlines to process health credentials more seamlessly. Since 27 March this year, Etihad has been trialling Affinidi’s travel verification solution to authenticate the digital health credentials of passengers travelling from Singapore to Abu Dhabi

Through this partnership, Etihad became the first airline to trial Affinidi’s Healthcare Network Assessment  (HNA)  program  in  Bahrain,  Cairo,  Maldives,  Manila,  and  Jakarta.  The  airline  is  working with Affinidi to identify the types of PDTs issued by healthcare providers as well as overall valid scan rates of QR codes on health reports when passengers check-in at the airports. This allows Etihad to understand the digital maturity and extent of QR code adoption on health reports in each destination market.


Toby Berger, Director of Travel at Affinidi, said, “We are excited to partner with Etihad Airways on this industry-first program. As stakeholders in the travel ecosystem look to restart safe international travel, standardization  of  digital  health  credentials  and  a  seamless  verification  process  will  be  key  for authorities to verify passengers’ credentials efficiently. At Affinidi, we continue to be a trusted global partner in delivering safe travel solutions centeredon authenticating health credentials to address the increasingly complex environment for safe travel. Programs like the Healthcare Network Assessment will also provide airlines with a better understanding of the health landscape and explore how they can strengthen collaboration with healthcare providers.”

The assessment has captured over 9,000 guest check-ins and identified 141 healthcare labs across five markets, and the data collected will support Affinidi in identifying key healthcare providers to onboard onto its safe travel ecosystem so that they may be able to integrate and authenticate health reports issued by these providers. This will in turn increase the pool of health reports that airlines can digitally verify  while  guarding  against  fraudulent  reports and improving the airlines’ ability to process and validate health reports more efficiently.

John Wright, Vice President Global Airports and Network Operations, Etihad Airways, said: “To facilitate the safe reopening of international travel and provide our guests with the best experience, it is important that we are able to seamlessly authenticate and validate health credentials, regardless of their origin or format, in a manner that protects the confidentiality of our guest’s data. We have always advocated the importance of interoperability of digital health solutions and are glad to partner with Affinidi to help accelerate this development.”

Over the coming months, Etihad will continue to extend the Affinidi Healthcare Network Assessment across more destinations in its network.



About Affinidi

Affinidi is  a  core  technology  company  that  enables  the  creation,  sharing,  and  verification  of  digital credentials that are portable and verifiable. Affinidi’s solutions empower trusted institutions to issue verifiable  credentials  to  users,  who  can  provide  consent to  share  their  credentials  with  other institutions,  applications,  or  service  providers,  for  verification.  By  sharing  these  verifiable  data credentials,  users  can  access  valuable  products  and  services  across  platforms  and  geographies  in  a trusted, open and interoperable manner.


Headquartered  in  Singapore  with  a  hub  in  Berlin,  Germany,  Affinidi  works  with  stakeholders  and partners  globally  to  realize  the  shared  goal  of  driving  transformational  change  and  new  business models.


As part of its Safe Travel initiative, Affinidi’s travel verification solution offers a universal, privacy-preserving solution to simply and securely verify digital health credentials to address the increasingly complex environment for international travel.


About Etihad Airways

Etihad is fully owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi and was established in July 2003 as a Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) by a decree of the Government of Abu Dhabi. Etihad has ambitious development plans that form part of the long-term growth and development plans of Abu Dhabi. As the national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways was formed to bring ‘Abu Dhabi to the World’. Due to travel restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic, Etihad iscurrently operating a reduced network, with flights to 65 destinations in the summer of 2021. Etihad operates one of the youngest and most efficient fleets in the world, the backbone of which is the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner


Media contact:

Rachael Renovah

Affinidi

Email: rachael.r@affinidi.com