Anyone who has travelled internationally in recent weeks knows the complications and stress created by a panoply of varying COVID protection measures. IATA is urging governments to adopt "simple, predictable and practical" measures to speed the aviation industry's recovery as borders re-open.
The airline association is seeking a focus on three main issues:
- Simplified health protocols
- Digital solutions to process health credentials
- COVID-19 measures proportionate to risk levels with a continuous review process
The recommendations come in a new policy paper titled: From Restart to Recovery: A Blueprint for Simplifying Travel.
"As governments are establishing processes to re-open borders, the Blueprint will help them with good practices and practical considerations," said Conrad Clifford, IATA's Deputy Director General.
"Over the next months we need to move from individual border openings to the restoration of a global air transport network that can reconnect communities and facilitate economic recovery."
Clifford added: "With over 18 months of pandemic operational experience and traveller feedback we know that a laser-focus on simplicity, predictability and practicality is essential. That is not the reality today. Over 100,000 COVID-19 related measures have been implemented by governments worldwide. This complexity is a barrier to global mobility that is exacerbated by the inconsistencies these measures have created among states."
Key recommendations from the IATA document include:
Simplifying Health Protocols:
- Remove all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine.
- Enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travelers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result.
Digital Solutions For Health Credentials:
IATA says travel health credentials (vaccination or testing certificates) should be handled digitally and enable travellers to complete the process in advance so that they can arrive at the airport ready-to-travel. The group says this will facilitate automated check-in processes, shorter lineups and wait-times. Other suggestions include:
- A digital health credential to record health status. IATA suggests the European Digital Covid Certificate (EU DCC) as an effective model.
- A digital web portal or application through which passengers can present their travel health credentials directly to governments for verification. IATA cites Canada's ArriveCAN app and Aruba's web portal as successful models.
- A web-platform providing clear explanations of entry requirements tailored to the individual passenger's residence status, health status, travel history and any other required variable. IATA mentions the Swiss Travelcheck portal for its ease of use, simplicity and clarity.
COVID Measures Proportionate To Risk
IATA says industry and governments have amassed crucial and vast experience with COVID-19, which will continue as the virus becomes endemic.
"COVID-19 measures must reflect this growing knowledge, changing risk levels and societal tolerance," the group says.
Key recommendations include:
- Publishing risk assessments used to make decisions relating to international travel to enhance predictability for consumers and industry.
- Review existing processes and apply "sunset" clauses to public health measures to ensure they are only in place as long as needed.
- Develop a roadmap for restoring aviation connectivity in the post-pandemic phase.
"Travel is important. Pre-pandemic some 88 million livelihoods were directly connected to aviation. And the inability to travel freely by air has impacted the quality of life for billions of people," said Clifford.
"We know that travellers feel confident with the implementation of the COVID-19 safety measures. But they have clearly told us that the current travel experience needs to improve with better information, simpler processing and digital solutions."
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