International aviation sector calls for elimination of quarantines
The Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Wednesday called for the removal of quarantines on air passengers and advocated systematic testing of passengers for COVID-19 to restart air travel.
The two organisations pointed out that the closure of the air system due to the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 "has had a catastrophic impact on employment" given that some 4.8 million jobs in the sector have disappeared or are threatened.
"Governments must cooperate to remove quarantine restrictions and restart air travel," the CIA and IATA said in a joint statement.
"A systematic approach to testing COVID-19 will provide an effective way to give governments the confidence to reopen borders without quarantine," the two aviation industry organisations added.
They recalled that they have worked with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body responsible for regulating the sector, and the World Health Organization (WHO) "to agree and implement health measures to enable safe operations in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis".
CIA Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said, "Airports and airlines are united in the view that a consistent approach to passenger testing will help restore passenger confidence, prevent border closures and remove the overwhelming quarantine measures that are hampering the industry's genuine efforts to recover".
Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO of IATA, an organization that groups 80% of airlines, said that "systematic testing is key to restoring connectivity. It is critical because millions of jobs depend on aviation," he added.
On Tuesday, IATA and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to restore confidence in flying, with the aim of restarting global tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 health crisis.
The agreement was signed on the eve of the G20 summit, which brings together the world's largest economies and includes a specific section on tourism, and will focus on boosting consumer confidence in travel and making sustainability the cornerstone of recovery.
Also this Tuesday, IATA said that airlines worldwide face expenses of $77 billion in the second half of 2020, so by the end of the year they need additional financial assistance to that which they have already received from governments.