UAE’s Etihad Airways to launch Covid-19 risk assessment tool

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways has partnered with Austrian-based healthcare technology company Medicus AI to launch a Covid-19 risk-assessment tool, it announced on June 22.

The risk-assessment tool will help Etihad’s guests evaluate the possibility of having contracted the Covid-19 infection by responding to a self-administered assessment based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Guests will understand their individual probability of having contracted the virus alongside advisories and recommendations, allowing them to make informed decisions about travelling.

Frank Meyer, chief digital officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We know that health and wellbeing will be a major factor impacting the travel decisions of our guests and are committed to ensuring their continued safety and peace of mind when they choose to travel with Etihad Airways. As flying operations begin to resume globally, we want to empower our guests to make informed decisions on travel. Partnering with Medicus AI on this innovative new tool is just one of the ways we are adapting our operations and guest experience to meet the new demands placed on the travel industry as a result of Covid-19.”

Dr. Baher Al Hakim, chief executive officer, Medicus AI, said: “We are proud to support Etihad Airways in their efforts to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew as the world returns to normalcy. Our initial efforts at the start of the pandemic were to help provide assessment and monitoring tools, and as needs shift, our efforts have evolved to help our partners bring people back to their day-to-day life in a safe manner.”

The tool, available to guests on the airline’s website, will soon be found on the Etihad Airways mobile app on the Apple iOS, Android and Huawei platforms, and will be accessible in English, with additional language editions such as Arabic, French, German and Portuguese being added in phases. The airline recently announced trials of Covid-19 triage and contactless technology at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Etihad Airways has started operating a limiting number of flights after the UAE opened up its airports earlier this month. In July, the airline plans to resume operations to over 40 destinations worldwide.

Read: UAE reopens airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

The airline has also removed all change fees for flights booked before June 30 for travel until November 30, 2020.

Etihad also announced that those who purchase an Etihad Travel Voucher between June 10-24, 2020 will receive an extra 50 per cent cash value for future travel from August 1, 2020 onwards. The Etihad Travel Vouchers are available in increments of $250 up to a maximum of $65,000 and will be valid for two years.

Read more: Etihad’s Travel Voucher offers 50% cash bonus on tickets booked until June 24