Measures are provisional and subject to review and change
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to avoid quarantine measures when re-opening their economies.
IATA is promoting a layered approach of measures to reduce the risk of countries importing Covid-19 via air travel and to mitigate the possibility of transmission in cases where people may travel while unknowingly being infected.
IATA proposed the following bio-safety measures:
Discouraging symptomatic passengers from travelling: It is important that passengers do not travel when ill. To encourage passengers to stay home if they are unwell or potentially exposed, airlines are offering travellers flexibility in adjusting their bookings.
Public health risk mitigation measures: IATA supports health screening by governments in the form of health declarations. To avoid privacy issues and cut the risk of infection with paper documents, standardized contactless electronic declarations via government web portals or government mobile applications are recommended.
Covid-19 testing for travellers from countries perceived to be ‘higher-risk’: It is recommended that tests are undertaken prior to arrival at the departure airport with documentation to prove a negative result.
Reducing the risk of transmission during the air travel journey: IATA encourages the universal implementation of the Take-Off guidelines published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Contact tracing: This is the back-up measure, should someone be detected as infected after arrival. Rapid identification and isolation of contacts contains the risk without large-scale economic or social disruption.
Reducing risk of transmission at destination: Governments are taking measures to limit the spread of the virus in their territory that will also mitigate the risk from travellers.
“Governments have a common interest in finding solutions. The rapid agreement by governments to ICAO’s Take-Off guidelines demonstrates that progress on complex issues is possible where there is the political will to do so,” remarked Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO, IATA.
