The airline trade is ratcheting up its marketing campaign to ease border restrictions and permit extra worldwide journey — even by individuals who aren’t vaccinated in opposition to coronavirus — regardless of excessive an infection charges in lots of international locations.
The trade’s commerce group, the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation, mentioned Wednesday that governments ought to use screening measures, akin to testing passengers for the virus, moderately than imposing quarantines and different restrictions.
The group cited research that point out vaccinated vacationers pose little danger of spreading COVID-19. To bolster its argument to let unvaccinated individuals journey too, the airline group mentioned solely 2.2% of vacationers to the UK between late February and early Might examined constructive for COVID-19 after arrival.
“There isn’t a risk-free method,” the group’s high official, Willie Walsh, the previous CEO of British Airways and Aer Lingus, instructed reporters. Governments want to simply accept some danger “and get on with our lives,” he mentioned.
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The feedback underscore the priority amongst airline officers {that a} restoration in journey won’t be quick sufficient to make the height summer time trip season successful. They hope that officers from the rich G7 international locations comply with ease journey restrictions throughout or earlier than a summit assembly of leaders in England subsequent week.
Final month, U.S. and U.Ok. airways requested President Joe Biden and U.Ok. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to raise restrictions on journey between the 2 international locations earlier than the summit, however neither authorities has acted.
The airline commerce group tasks that the trade will lose $48 billion this yr after shedding $126 billion in 2020. The group’s chief economist mentioned final week that air site visitors this yr will likely be 52% of 2019 site visitors and gained’t get well to pre-pandemic ranges till 2023.
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