IATA opposes quarantines for international travellers

IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac commented (13-May-2020) that international travel cannot restart under conditions of extended quarantines for passengers, noting the UK and Spain plan to introduce 14 day quarantine on arrival measures. According to an Apr-2020 IATA survey of 11 markets:

• 84% of travellers said that quarantine measures was one of their top concerns;
• 69% essentially said that they would not return to travel under such conditions.

Mr de Juniac said that IATA is advocating a risk-based layered approach to biosecurity that needs to be coordinated globally. This will allow the arriving country to be confident of the procedures in place at the departing airport and will reassure air travellers through common measures. Measures proposed include temperature checks and other screening at departure to keep symptomatic travellers from flying, along with a "robust" government managed system of health declarations and rigorous contact tracing can manage the risk form asymptomatic travellers. IATA is working with ICAO and other stakeholders to put in place an agreed risk-based layered system quickly to "safely and efficiently restore global connectivity". [more - original PR]