Iata welcomes new recommendations for safe air travel

Iata has welcomed the three new recommendations contained in the second edition of Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis by the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART).

CART brings together the expertise of ICAO, public health authorities, individual member states, and industry bodies to support air health and safety protocols.

Under its leadership, the first edition of the Take-off guidance was issued in June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and provided the groundwork for the multi-layered biosafety measures already implemented by the industry, such as physical distancing, the wearing of face coverings or masks, routine sanitation and disinfection, health screening, contact tracing and passenger health declaration forms.

The following three recommendations are being added to the Take-off guidance:

COVID-19 testing
With some Iata member states considering the use of testing, and with the availability of improved COVID-19 testing technology, there is a need for guidance material to facilitate harmonisation.

This is being developed in a Manual on Testing and Cross Border Risk Management Measures and will be a key enabler of Iata’s call for systematic testing before departure for international travellers, according to Alexandre de Juniac, Iata DG and CEO.

Public Health Corridors or Travel Bubbles
ICAO is asking countries that are considering the formation of a Public Health Corridor (PHC) – more commonly known as travel bubbles – to actively share information with each other to implement these in a harmonised manner.

To facilitate implementation of PHCs, the ICAO Implementation Package (iPack) on establishing a PHC is available to Iata member states.

Extending regulatory alleviations to March 31, 2021
While maintaining the highest standards for safety, COVID-19 has forced the industry to temporarily adapt certain regulatory processes, especially those related to staff qualification and training.

Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, the Take-off guidance recommends that such alleviations should not be extended beyond March 31, 2021. It is essential that states consider flight crew as ‘key workers’ to benefit from PHC and are encouraged to enable access to medical and training facilities.

“By addressing the need for harmonised COVID-19 testing requirements as part of a multi-layered approach, CART is also contributing to building confidence among governments to manage the risks of COVID-19 importation while removing barriers to travel such as quarantines. The aim is to safely reconnect the world and these recommendations are moving us forward,” said De Juniac.