Airports Council International (ACI) World is calling on governments around the world to follow a “robust and consistent protocol” for COVID-19 testing that should be implemented “only when necessary” and as an alternative to broad-brush requirements for quarantines that some governments have used to try to stem the flow of infected passengers. The airport association also issued new security guidance for airports to follow.
ACI said it will request the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to develop recommendations for countries that should be risk-based and informed by scientific and health experts. The measures should only be applied to passengers between countries where there is significant risk, and only for as long as is necessary to ensure public health and passenger confidence.
- IATA coronavirus resource centre
- ICAO coronavirus resource centre
- Johns Hopkins University Virus Tracking Site
- Air Cargo COVID-19 Action Page
- IATA TACT COVID-19 Operational Impact Portal
- IATA Quick Reference for Ground Handling During COVID-19
- IATA Guidance on the Safe Carriage of Cargo in the Passenger Cabin
- WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
- International Society for Infection Diseases COVID-19 Page
- ICAO CART Take-off Guidance
“Unilateral national measures, especially a quarantine requirement, is damaging to both the industry and passenger confidence,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “Unnecessary quarantine measures are particularly harmful to passenger confidence as international air travellers have no assurance that, if they make flight arrangements, they will be able to return to their place of departure to continue their daily lives. Harmonised measures and a risk based approach that relies on scientific evidences will help to restore the traveller confidence and support the economy recovery of the aviation ecosystem. The imposition of such restrictions fails to take into account other options such as testing. It is time to resume international air transport in a safe and efficient manner, where people and goods can travel freely without increasing the risk of infection or the fear of re-imposed and unnecessary quarantine.”
ACI said it believes risk-based and proportionate measures should make use of available mitigation measures, while taking into account the need for economic recovery.
To this end, governments should:
- Adopt the principle of risk-based and proportionate measures based on scientific evidence
- avoid blanket quarantine rules;
- Implement effective testing protocols before and after travel as a means to mitigate risk, rather than imposing quarantine;
- Recognise properly issued health certificates;
- Support secure solutions to share health information such as test results;
- Fully implement the ICAO Take-Off Aviation Health Safety Protocols;
- Inform the public in close cooperation with the travel and tourism industries.
New COVID-19 security guidance for airports
ACI World also published new security guidance for airports to implement at screening checkpoints as they prepare to restart operations. The new Aviation Smart Security Playbook has been developed in collaboration with Deloitte and is designed to assist airports in providing a safe, secure, and hygienic experience for passengers, staff, and the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ACI World worked closely with Deloitte to present the guidance in a clear and concise manner that is straightforward for users to follow. The guidance is aligned with the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) recommendations that lays out a global roadmap for the restart and recovery of air travel. It provides airports with practical and ready-to-implement solutions to ensure operational readiness as they prepare for gradual increase in passenger traffic.
The guidance focuses on:
- Pre-security measures;
- Security and control measures;
- Primary security considerations;
- Passenger expectations;
- Creating a decision framework for control measures.
“As airports around the world restart operations, providing important connectivity and essential operations, their primary focus is on protecting the health and welfare of passengers and staff, as well as to minimise the opportunities for dissemination of disease,” ACI World’s de Oliveira said. “The entire aviation ecosystem is adjusting to the complexities of the ‘new normal’ and responding to the needs and expectations of passengers is crucial in rebuilding confidence that air travel is safe. Aviation will be a key engine driving the long term global economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19 and these guidelines are intended to assist airports during the initial phases of business restart as well as the longer-term recovery process.”
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