Airlines ramp up pressure to scrap quarantine measures

Aviation bodies are piling pressure on European governments to scrap unsustainable quarantine measures and replace them with new passenger testing to kick start the flagging travel industry.

Their call to ditch the ‘unsustainable patchwork quarantine situation’ comes just a day after the travel industry was left reeling following the shock announcement that Turkey – one of the last remaining winter sun destinations for UK holidaymakers – was scrapped from the UK’s travel corridor list, along with Poland and the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba.

Aviation bodies say pre-departure passenger testing will provide greater assurance and ability for cross-border travellers to plan family reunions or holidays and serve as a lifeline to the millions of workers in the travel and tourism sectors whose jobs remain at risk.

Aviation bodies ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe (A4E) and IATA have submitted a framework for how an EU-wide Testing Protocol for Travel (EU-TPT) could work. It follows their direct call to action together with the wider travel and tourism sectors in a letter to European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen on 17^th September.

In follow up letters sent to the Commission President and Heads of State, as well as Health Ministers across Europe last night, the industry associations set out their proposal for harmonised pre-departure testing from high-risk areas, describing the current situation of patchwork quarantine restrictions as "unsustainable".

ACI EUROPE, A4E and IATA say the adoption by EU States of a common testing protocol would "further reduce transmission risks, restore confidence among the travelling public, and protect livelihoods" by allowing the travel and tourism sectors to begin their recovery.

IATA figures show air traffic to, from and within Europe is down by 66.3% year to date. The latest figures from ACI EUROPE reveal that as of 27^th September, passenger traffic in the EU had further plunged to -78%.

New research released by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) on the impact of COVID-19 restrictions suggests the collapse of air traffic could result in a 52% drop in employment supported by aviation in Europe, equating to the loss of around 7 million jobs and the loss of nearly €450 billion in economic activity.

"We need to learn to live – and travel – with the virus", says the letter. "Re-establishing the free movement of people and air connectivity across our continent in a safe way must be a priority."

The letter highlights the continually worsening outlook for passenger demand along with cripplingly low forward bookings for the winter season – down -80% from 2019. The planning certainty and risk-based safety of a common testing protocol would give European countries an effective way to reduce transmission both in communities and during air travel whilst stimulating the economy.

The framework proposed is based on two overarching principles: Firstly, that quarantines must be replaced by testing prior to departure, based on an EU Testing Protocol for travel which is consistently applicable for passengers travelling across borders from high risk areas in the EU/Schengen space and from third countries.

Secondly, travel restrictions must be coordinated and based on common risk assessment. This supports the risk assessment criteria and the common colour coding system/mapping of designated areas already proposed by the European Commission, but which is yet to be endorsed and fully implemented by EU states.