KUALA LUMPUR, 13 May 2020: Health measures to reopen air travel need to be consistent, coherent and coordinated amongst governments working closely with airlines and airports, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.
AAPA recognises that public health measures such as widespread testing, contact tracing and social distancing are being implemented by governments worldwide. However, to address public confidence concerns over the safety of air travel, any measures should be practical and based on accepted medical standards, as part of a robust risk management framework.
Commenting on the situation, AAPA director-general Subhas Menon said, “Wherever possible processes such as travellers’ health declarations should be automated and made available on mobile devices for the convenience of the travelling public.
“Departure screening procedures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 should preferably be applied before travellers board their flights. Precautionary measures onboard are being discussed, and will likely include the compulsory wearing of masks by all travellers and airline crew. Other measures such as leaving the middle seat empty have been suggested, but would make air travel much more costly without any meaningful public benefit in terms of risk reduction.”
Menon added: “The restart of aviation is likely to be sporadic, reflecting uncertainties in the stabilisation of the pandemic and public confidence levels. The resumption of flights is likely to start in the Asia Pacific region given that the region has had more time to deal with the pandemic.
“A number of governments in the region are already undertaking joint discussions for the resumption of cross border travel, and we applaud these efforts to jumpstart the wider economy, recognising the crucial role played by the aviation industry.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic is probably the greatest challenge that the global air transport industry has ever faced. The industry must introduce and adapt processes to minimise risk while at the same time restoring confidence and trust in air travel. Travellers should be able to undertake journeys with full confidence that measures are being undertaken to protect their wellbeing.”
Aviation supports 65.5 million jobs around the world, with one job in the industry supporting 24 other jobs in the wider economy, but these livelihoods are now jeopardised due to the drastic plunge in travel demand.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation sees tourism declining as much as 80% this year. The progressive resumption of air travel would be key to helping jumpstart economic activity.
