Over the past weeks, Airports Council International (ACI-LAC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have come together to secure alignment between airlines and airports, with the aim of jointly engaging and supporting institutional stakeholders in the challenging endeavor of restarting the aviation industry.
The proposed layered approach of measures across the entire passenger journey aims to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 at airports and onboard aircraft, and to prevent aviation becoming a meaningful source of international re-infection. Such measures should be globally consistent and subject to continued review, improvement, and removal when no longer required, to ensure an even recovery.
The aviation industry faces the biggest challenge in its history. International aviation is effectively shut down in the effort to fight COVID-19, with disastrous consequences for airlines, airports and all businesses and citizens whose livelihoods depend on air connectivity. As lockdown measures are being eased around the globe, we must tackle the task of restarting air connectivity in an aligned and coordinated manner.
We are pleased to release the ACI & IATA joint approach: “Safely Restarting Aviation”, which is also fully subscribed by ALTA. This joint approach has already been shared with ICAO.
“Safety has always been our top priority in aviation and that includes public health. Restoring air connectivity is vital to restarting the economies across Latin America and the Caribbean, many of which are highly dependant on aviation. This is essential in rebuilding the socio-economic wellbeing. Our layered approach of measures recommended by airports and airlines safeguard public health while offering a practical approach for a gradual restart of operations. That is key to restoring public confidence in our industry,” said Peter Cerdá, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas.
“ALTA strongly supports the IATA – ACI joint “Safely Restarting Aviation” document, as it is a great job to find a common ground on the both sides of the operation, ground and skies, permitting a safe return for our employees, passengers and service providers. The industry organizations are working on developing the standards to be implemented in a harmonized manner regionally and globally in order to start operating even more safely, providing confidence to users and operators and once again offering an essential service that brings economic and social development to our countries through its catalytic effect”, commented José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s Executive Director & CEO.
“Airports have been handling air cargo and emergency flights throughout the crisis and are now ready to welcome commercial passengers safely once again” said Rafael Echevarne, Director General ACI-LAC.
