ACI, IATA SET OUT ROADMAP TO RESTART AVIATION INDUSTRY

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 -- The Airports Council International (ACI) World and International Air Transport Association (IATA) have jointly issued a paper titled “Safely Restarting Aviation -- ACI and IATA Joint Approach” which underlines a pathway for restarting the aviation industry.

The parties said airlines and airports have cooperated to build a roadmap for resuming operations, which reassures the travelling public that health and safety remain the overall priorities.

The joint approach proposes a layered approach of measures across the entire passenger journey to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 at airports and onboard aircraft, and to prevent aviation becoming a meaningful source of international re-infection, they said in a joint statement today.

bootstrap slideshow

Such measures should be globally consistent and subject to continued review, improvement, and removal when no longer required, to ensure an even recovery.

ACI and IATA are both central members of the COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) which is being led by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

CART enables the collaboration among governments and between governments and industry that is vital to ensure the harmonisation and consistency of measures that are essential to restoring air connectivity and passenger confidence in air travel.

“There is currently no single measure that could mitigate all the risks of restarting air travel but we believe a globally-consistent, outcome-based approach represents the most effective way of balancing risk mitigation with the need to unlock economies and to enable travel,” ACI world director-general Angela Gittens said.

Meanwhile, IATA director-general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said restoring air connectivity is vital to restarting the global economy and reconnecting people.

“Our layered approach of measures recommended by airports and airlines safeguard public health while offering a practical approach for a gradual restart of operations.

“It is important to remember that the risk of transmission on board is very low. And we are determined that aviation will not be a significant source of re-infection,” he said.

Alexandre added that they are working continuously with governments to ensure that any measures put in place are done so consistently and with scientific backing.

ACI and AITA have also called on governments to ensure any new measures introduced for airports and airlines in the wake of COVID-19 are supported by scientific evidence and are consistent across the world.

The aviation sector has been brought to a standstill and a balanced and effective restart and recovery depends on collaboration among the key participants in the global aviation ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA