Airlines Join their Voice to Lift Europe’s Travel Restrictions

After months of reduced operations that put their finances in the red, airlines are ready to take to the skies. To do so, industry associations are calling for the lifting of travel restrictions, particularly in Europe after a recommendation from the European Commission suggested the gradual openings of borders starting on July 1.

The COVID-19 outbreak brought an almost complete halt to the global aviation industry thanks to global lockdowns, border closings and social-distancing policies, with April marking the industry’s lowest point to date with a 95 percent reduction in global traffic. However, some countries that were severely hit by the outbreak are also reliant on travel and tourism, making the reactivation of the industry a priority. This Thursday, the European Commission suggested lifting border restrictions among EU members from June 15 and proposed a gradual lifting of restriction for non-EU countries starting on July 1. “Following the lifting of all internal border checks inside the Union, we are proposing a clear and flexible approach towards removing restrictions on travel to the EU starting on 1 July. International travel is key for tourism and business and for family and friends reconnecting. While we will all have to remain careful, the time has come to make concrete preparations for lifting restrictions with countries whose health situation is similar to the EU's and for resuming visa operations,” said Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs at the European Commission.

The document suggests that restrictions to non-member countries should be lifted on a case-by-case basis after an analysis on each country’s health situation and reciprocity considerations. While Mexico has not closed its borders to European flights, the fast spread of COVID-19, with almost 134,000 cases in the country to this date, makes a return to normal operations between both regions unclear.

Several industry bodies, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI) Europe and Airlines for Europe (A4E), have added their voice to this initiative and urged governments to lift travel restrictions. IATA also urged governments to avoid forced quarantines that would place an onerous burden in the recovery of the aviation industry. “The progressive opening of intra-European travel has the potential to boost recovery, provided onerous quarantine measures are avoided,” said IATA. European airlines are expected to see a 56.4 percent reduction in demand during the rest of 2020 and lose US$21.5 billion in profits during the year.

Lifting border restrictions is only one of many steps that the industry is considering to recover from what it has been termed the worst crisis in history.