KUALA LUMPUR, 28 April 2020: The early restart of aviation will spur global recovery, but appropriate health checks and airport measures needed to be in place, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines director-general, Subhas Menon, said in a statement on Monday
“The growing view is that this pandemic will take time to abate, and we must all learn to adapt accordingly,” said Menon. “Governments will need airlines to underpin a wider economic recovery, connect manufacturing hubs and support tourism.”
However, he noted that the impact would vary in each country, and the resumption of travel could be a slow and sporadic process.
“Work must begin on a multilateral basis to develop the necessary protocols to safeguard public health while restoring international connectivity, including air services.”
Noting that the national health security protocols may be sufficient to restart domestic travel, a separate framework would be needed for international air travel.
“Cross-border flights can only resume in earnest when governments are ready to lift blanket travel bans and relax other restrictions on international travel.”
He noted that modifications to inflight procedures would need to follow an evidence-based approach incorporating appropriate guidance from medical and public health professionals.
“Departure screening measures, in whatever form, are just one part of the precautions to be taken. Other aspects of the journey such as security checkpoints, immigration and other facilities at airports may need to be revised in line with updated recommendations on social distancing and hygiene standards.”
Measures are expected to remain in place for a considerable time, but he cautioned they would require regular reviews and updates in accordance with expert guidance from public health and medical experts.
Looking forward, he concluded that the recovery would be led by domestic travel, followed by regional and intercontinental services as governments progressively remove restrictions.
