Airlines, Airports Reportedly Push U.N. Body To Recommend Negative Covid-19 Tests As Alternative To Quarantine Requirements – Forbes

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With countries starting to reopen their borders to travelers, airlines and airports will ask a U.N. task force on Tuesday to recommend countries accept a negative Covid-19 test result within 48 hours of travelers departure from countries with high infection rates as an alternative to mandatory quarantines that have decreased demand for travel, according to Reuters.

Mandatory quarantine rules are a deterrent for travelers.

If a task force set up by theU.N.s International Civil Aviation Organization agrees with the proposal, it is likely the guidelines will be accepted by the 193 member nations.

Requiring a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure will decrease the risk of importation by up to 90% and open up travel between a larger number of countries, according to the proposal from the Airports Council International and International Air Transport Association, according to Reuters.

The organizations are seeking to find a way around quarantine requirements that are a deterrent for travelers.

About 85% of people surveyed said they were concerned about needing to quarantine while traveling and only 17% said they were willing quarantine, according to a July IATA survey.

Quarantine is a demand killer. Keeping borders closed prolongs the pain by causing economic hardship well beyond airlines. If governments want to re-start their tourism sectors, alternative risk-based measures are needed, said IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.

Many airlines do not think demand will return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024, de Juniac said. A 58% majority of the people who responded to the July IATA survey said they have avoided air travel and 33% said they will avoid travel in the future to reduce the risk of catching Covid-19. When asked to rank the top three measures that would make them feel safer, 37% said Covid-19 screening at departure airports, 34% agreed with face-covering mandates and 33% said social distancing measures on the plane.

$365 billion. That is the maximum potential loss for passenger operating revenues for airlines in 2020, according to an August 12 ICAO report. The organization predicts an overall reduction of 2.86 billion travelers.

Airlines, airports to push for COVID testing as quarantines hit traffic (Reuters)

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Traveler Survey Reveals COVID-19 Concerns (IATA)

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Airlines, Airports Reportedly Push U.N. Body To Recommend Negative Covid-19 Tests As Alternative To Quarantine Requirements - Forbes