Airlines and airports will request a meeting of the United Nations task force on Tuesday to recommend that countries accept a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of travel as an alternative to travel quarantines. decreased, according to a document seen by Reuters news agency.
The sector wants the task force to make the recommendation for passengers traveling from countries with high COVID-19 infection rates if it meets on Tuesday to review guidelines for international travel amid the pandemic.
“A pre-departure test could reduce the risk of import by up to 90 percent, allowing air travel to be opened between a large number of countries without a quarantine requirement,” said the proposal from Airports Council International (ACI) and the airline trade group International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The pressure for testing comes as the sector’s hopes for a recovery were dashed last week when the UK re-introduced quarantines on travelers from France and the Netherlands.
Airlines predict a 55 percent drop in air traffic by 2020, according to IATA, which reported 85 percent of surveyed travelers worry about quarantine.
“We do not support mandatory testing at all,” IATA medical adviser Dr. David Powell told Reuters. “But if there are situations where there is a higher risk in the country of origin and it may prevent the need for quarantine, then we strongly support and advocate for that concept.”
The proposal requires the use of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests performed outside airports.
The task force did not lift tests as an alternative to quarantines in May when it recommended a uniform approach to reviving flights, but it was able to do so after Tuesday’s meeting.
The United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was not immediately available for comment.
Powell said the 48-hour period recommended by IATA and ACI was up for discussion and said it might make sense for some travelers to take a second test upon arrival at their destination.
While recommendations of task force are voluntary, ICAO guidelines are typically adopted by its 193 member states.
Testing requires increased cost problems for travelers, given that airlines are unlikely to bear the approximate cost of $ 200. The sector expects $ 314bn in lost revenue by 2020, according to ICAO forecasts.
SOURCE:
Reuters news agency
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