Testing and open borders alone is unlikely to restart the industry in time to prevent deeper job cuts. The revenues of airlines operating to and from Greece will fall by an estimated 3.7 billion euros in 2020.
ATHENS – The Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA) referred to as on the Greek authorities to help all efforts for a typical journey protocol and promote an enhanced pre-flight COVID-19 testing program to avoid wasting aviation, journey, and tourism jobs in Greece. The Affiliation additionally requested a framework of economic, operational, and regulatory help from the federal government to assist protect the advantages of air connectivity for Greece and strengthen the aviation sector.
The effect of COVID-19 on air journey demand to Greece up to now has been extreme. IATA estimates that greater than 30 million fewer passengers will fly to and from Greece in 2020, a discount of around 61% in comparison with 2019. This fall will negatively affect the Greek economic system by 10 billion euros, and it places greater than 273,000 jobs in danger. The Greek authorities’ response in the summertime after the primary lockdown was to proceed with focused testing of arriving passengers and take away quarantine. This resulted in Greece having a decrease proportion fall in ticket gross sales (-58%) in July and August in comparison with related vacationer markets equivalent to France (-81%), Italy (-81%), Spain (-85%) Portugal (-81%) and Cyprus (-82%).
“It’s clear that Greece noticed a profit from its testing coverage in the summertime. However for air journeys and tourism to actually get well, two issues are important. First, Greece ought to look to chop the price of testing. The present PCR take a look at is including a major price to air journey to Greece. Subsidized exams or a transfer to fast antigen exams would cut back prices and stimulate demand. Second, Greece should push for EU-wide cooperation for a typical journey protocol that replaces quarantine with systematic testing of passengers,” mentioned Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe.
Testing and open borders alone is unlikely to restart the trade in time to forestall deeper job cuts. The revenues of airways working to and from Greece will fall by an estimated 3.7 billion euros in 2020. On common airways globally are burning by money at a fee of greater than 250,000 euros each minute. To keep away from the destruction of jobs and financial and social alternatives, a framework of economic, operational, and regulatory help is required from governments till the trade can get again on its toes. A key deliverable in Greece can be the institution of a brand new impartial regulatory authority for civil aviation.
“Establishing an efficient, impartial regulator to resolve challenges regarding air visitors management, delays, capability, airport expenses, and different issues has been a longstanding request of your complete aviation sector in Greece. Nonetheless, the draft legislation continues to be pending. The earlier the legislation is enacted, the earlier robust foundations for the long term success of air connectivity for Greece might be constructed,” mentioned Schvartzman.
Latest IATA analysis information and estimates on the effect of the pandemic on the airline trade had been offered at a digital convention Main Greece right into a New Aviation Actuality organized by IATA and that includes contributions from IATA consultants and audio system together with Kostas Karamanlis, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Vassilis Kontozamanis, Deputy Minister of Wellbeing, Harry Theoharis, Minister of Tourism, Nikolaos Stathopoulos, Normal Secretary of Transport, Georgios Dritsakos, Governor HCAA, Christos Tsitouras, Governor CAA, Yiannis Paraschis, CEO Athens Worldwide Airport, Eftichios Vassilakis, Chairman of AEGEAN, and Dimitrios Gerogiannis, CEO of AEGEAN. Panel discussions centered on what must be completed to assist aviation to get well and the measures wanted to make sure aviation continues to ship advantages to the Greek economic system and tourism.
