Baldly stating "the measures have not worked," The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging governments to accelerate the relaxation of travel restrictions.
The organization representing most of the world's airlines says it is time for major changes to how travel is managed "as COVID-19 continues to evolve from the pandemic to endemic stage."
IATA is calling for:
-- The removal of all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine.
-- Enabling quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result.
-- The removal of travel bans.
-- Speeding up the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travellers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population.
"With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence and opinion opposing the targeting of travellers with restrictions and country bans to control the spread of COVID-19," said IATA Director General Willie Walsh.
"The measures have not worked. Today Omicron is present in all parts of the world. That's why travel, with very few exceptions, does not increase the risk to general populations. The billions spent testing travellers would be far more effective if allocated to vaccine distribution or strengthening health care systems," Walsh added.
IATA cites a recently published UK-based study by Oxera and Edge Health, which found that enhanced testing requirements on travellers imposed after the discovery of the Omicron variant had an "extremely limited impact" on controlling its spread.
The study said that if the UK's extra measures with respect to Omicron had been in place from the beginning of November (prior to the identification of the variant), the peak of the Omicron wave would have been delayed by just five days with 3% fewer cases. The absence of any testing measures for travellers would have seen the Omicron wave peak seven days earlier with an overall 8% increase in cases, the study's authors stated.
"While the study is specific to the UK, it is clear that travel restrictions in any part of the world have had little impact on the spread of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant," said IATA's Walsh.
"The UK, France and Switzerland have recognized this and are among the first to begin removing travel measures. More governments need to follow their lead. Accelerating the removal of travel restrictions will be a major step towards living with the virus," he added.
Last week, the World HealthOrganization (WHO) Emergency Committee made a similar call for nations to "lift or ease international traffic bans as they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by States."
The WHO added: "The failure of travel restrictions introduced after the detection and reporting of Omicron variant to limit international spread of Omicron demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such measures over time."
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