The International Air Transport Association, mentioned Wednesday that governments should use screening measures, such as testing passengers for the virus, rather than imposing quarantines and other restrictions.
The group cited studies that indicate vaccinated travelers pose little risk of spreading COVID-19. To bolster its argument to let unvaccinated individuals travel too, the airline group mentioned only 2.2% of travelers to the UK between late February and early May tested positive for COVID-19 after arrival.
“There is no risk-free approach,” the group’s top official, Willie Walsh, the former CEO of British Airways and Aer Lingus, informed reporters. Governments need to accept some risk “and get on with our lives,” he mentioned.
The comments underscore the concern among airline officials that a recovery in travel won’t be fast enough to make the peak summer vacation season a hit. They hope that officials from the wealthy G7 nations agree to ease travel restrictions throughout or before a summit meeting of leaders in England next week.
Last month, U.S. and U.K. airlines asked President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lift restrictions on travel between the 2 nations before the summit, but neither government has acted.
The airline trade group projects that the industry will lose $48 billion this yr after losing $126 billion in 2020. The group’s chief economist stated last week that air traffic this yr will be 52% of 2019 traffic and won’t recover to pre-pandemic levels till 2023.
