2 June 2020: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has come out with global guidelines - Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis. These are risk-based temporary measures for air transport operations during the COVID-19 crisis. IATA has urged the governments to implement these guidelines for safer restart of Air travel across the globe.
“The universal implementation of global standards has made aviation safe. A similar approach is critical in this crisis so that we can safely restore air connectivity as borders and economies re-open. The Takeoff guidance document was built with the best expertise of government and industry. Airlines strongly support it. Now we are counting on governments to implement the recommendations quickly, because the world wants to travel again and needs airlines to play a key role in the economic recovery. And we must do this with global harmonization and mutual recognition of efforts to earn the confidence of travellers and air transport workers,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
Takeoff is a phased approach which includes risk based measures in line with recommendations from public health authorities
These measures include:
- Physical distancing to the extent feasible and implementation of 'adequate risk-based measures where distancing is not feasible, for example in aircraft cabins'.
- Wearing of face coverings and masks by passengers and aviation workers.
- Routine sanitation and disinfection of all areas with potential for human contact and transmission.
- Health screening, which could include pre- and post-flight self-declarations, as well as temperature screening and visual observation, “conducted by health professionals”
- Contact tracing for passengers and aviation employees: updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration, and interaction between passengers and governments should be made directly though government portals.
- Passenger health declaration forms, including self-declarations in line with the recommendations of relevant health authorities. Electronic tools should be encouraged to avoid paper.
- Testing: if and when real-time, rapid and reliable testing becomes available.
“This layering of measures should give travellers and crew the confidence they need to fly again. And we are committed to working with our partners to continuously improve these measures as medical science, technology and the pandemic evolve,” said de Juniac.
“The leadership of ICAO and the commitment of our fellow CART members have combined to quickly lay the foundation for a safe restoration of air transport amid the COVID-19 crisis. We salute the unity of purpose that guided aviation’s stakeholders to a solid conclusion. Moreover, we fully support CART’s findings and look forward to working with governments for a well-coordinated systematic implementation that will enable flights to resume, borders to open and quarantine measures to be lifted,” said de Juniac.