New research from Finland and Italy has spurred IATA and Airports Council International Europe to urge European Governments to lift all travel restrictions for fully vaccinated or recovered individuals holding a valid COVID Certificate.
The news comes as European travel authorities launch a new approach, based on the health status of travellers, rather than the epidemiological situation of their country or area of origin.
IATA and ACI Europe say the new independent research confirms the validity of the traveller-centric approach, highlighting the inefficiency of recent travel restrictions imposed by European countries in mitigating the risks to public health and society posed by COVID-19.
The analysis produced by Oxera and Edge Health reveals that pre-departure testing requirements are likely to be ineffective at stopping or even limiting the spread of the Omicron variant.
The analysis of testing restrictions imposed by Italy and Finland on December 16 and December 28, 2021 respectively on all incoming travellers made no distinguishable difference to transmission of Omicron cases in those countries.
"Conversely, the impact of these restrictions, and in particular the limitations to the free movement of people, resulted in significant and unnecessary economic hardship -- not just for the travel and tourism sectors and their workforce, but for the whole European economy," the airport and airline organizations said in a statement.
"The research is clear that the inevitable delay in identifying new variants means that transmission already occurs by the time travel restrictions are imposed. It's the classic case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, said Conrad Clifford, IATA Deputy Director General.
"Keeping testing in place for vaccinated passengers therefore seems completely ineffective from the health point of view, but damages passenger confidence and national economies. This latest research should give governments confidence to implement the EU recommendation in full, enabling Europe to get moving again," Clifford added.
The research also suggested that:
-- Maintaining pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated/recovered travellers further will have no impact whatsoever on the future spread of the Omicron variant in Italy and Finland.
-- Imposing these restrictions earlier - i.e. on the very day the Omicron variant was identified as an issue by the WHO - would not have stopped its spread nor significantly limited it in Italy and Finland. This is inherent to the fact that variants circulate well ahead of the time by which they are identified, which is the reason why both the WHO and ECDC generally consider travel restrictions to be ineffective.
Both Italy and Finland are now lifting their pre-departure testing requirements. While Finland has lifted restrictions for all incoming vaccinated/recovered travellers, Italy has done so only for incoming travellers from within the EU/EEA. IATA and ACI Europe say Italy should extend this "to all incoming travellers, as there is no health safety benefit in delaying this step any longer."
Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe Director General, says the new approach is the right one, but notes that having common EU regimes has so far not prevented States from going their own way.
"This must stop. We now have further proof - travel restrictions do have a significant effect - but it's not on public health, it's on economic stability and livelihoods. In short: they are causing more harm than good," Jankovec said.
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