IATA Outlines Layered Approach for Safe Return to the Skies

As airlines look for ways to get people traveling again after the COVID-19 outbreak led to the sharpest drop for the aviation industry in recent history, passenger safety remains a priority. The International Air Travel Association (IATA) outlines a proposal that prioritizes passenger safety without further damaging the already struggling sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a blight for many economies and industries and aviation was specially affected. Due to the outbreak, up to 1.5 billion people less are expected to travel during 2020, costing the industry US$314 billion in lost revenue. Mexican airlines, for instance, reported drops in demand of over 80 percent in domestic and international travel during April. Airlines across the globe have been implementing nearly desperate cash-saving measures to address the crisis, including pay cuts for staff and major layoffs. Some airlines have folded under the pressure, including the second-largest airline in the world, Avianca, which filed for bankruptcy just last week.

The sector might just begin to see a line at the end of the tunnel as some countries begin to open their borders. However, some of the conditions these countries are implementing, such as Spain’s 14-day quarantine for all travelers from abroad, will further complicate the recovery of the aviation industry, warns IATA. The association “strongly urges governments to find alternatives” and for that reason it has published a layered approach to the implementation of biosecurity measures that would ensure the safety of travelers. This initiative is called Biosecurity for Air Transport: a Roadmap for Restarting Aviation. “A layered approach has worked with safety and with security. It is the way forward for biosecurity, as well,” said Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO of IATA.

The roadmap introduces a series of temporary measures to be constantly reviewed and replaced or removed if better alternatives are found. These include measures before the passenger arrives at the airport, including collecting health information and data for every traveler; at the airport before boarding, which include the use of face masks, social distancing, temperature screening and restricted access to terminals; during flight, which include the use of face masks during the duration of the flight for passengers and crew, as well as frequent in-depth cleaning of the cabin and after flight, including automated procedures at customs and robust contact tracing. IATA also supports COVID-19 testing of all passengers but only a fast, accurate testing method has been developed. There is also the alternative implementation of the controversial immunity passports.

These measures are expected to provide airlines a viable recovery roadmap, while ensuring passenger safety. The agency urges governments to act fast and in a coordinating manner to support the aviation industry due to its importance for the recovery of the global economy. “The vital element is coordination. If we do not take these first steps in a harmonized way, we will spend many painful years recovering ground that should not have been lost,” said de Juniac.