Page 24 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2022 Online Magazine

hassle-free for fully vaccinated people. The
International Air Transport Association (IATA),
Airlines for America (A4A) and 28 US and
international aviation and travel and tourism
stakeholder groups have sought the removal
of pre-departure testing requirement for fully
vaccinated air travelers flying to the US.

“REMOVING THE PRE-DEPARTURE
TESTING REQUIREMENT FOR FULLY
VACCINATED TRAVELERS WILL
GREATLY SUPPORT THE RECOVERY
OF TRAVEL AND AVIATION IN
THE US AND GLOBALLY WITHOUT
than in any other part of the world. In 2019, the Asia Pacific was INCREASING THE SPREAD OF
the second biggest market after Europe in terms of international COVID-19 AND ITS VARIANTS IN
travel within a region, with travel within the region constituting as
much as 13.3 percent of international travel. In 2021, international THE US POPULATION. THERE IS NO
travel within the Asia Pacific was just 1.5 percent of the market, USE IN CLOSING THE BARN DOOR
with many key markets remaining cut off from the rest of the world. AFTER THE HORSE HAS BOLTED,”
says IATA General Secretary Willie Walsh.
About half of all international travel in 2021 happened within Europe,
and the scenario could well repeat itself this year. According to
Eurocontrol, domestic and international traffic within Europe is As per IATA’s most recent air traveler survey, 62
on track to recover by end-2022 to 70-90 percent of 2019 levels. percent of respondents are in favor of removing
Signifying a determination to push the pandemic into the rearview testing requirements for those who are fully
mirror, an increasing number of countries in the region, including vaccinated. Increased immunity levels, the per-
France and Switzerland, have announced significant easing of vasiveness of COVID-19 in all 50 US states,
measures. The UK has lifted all testing requirements for vaccinated rising vaccination rates and new therapeutics,
travelers and the European Union is set to ease travel restrictions all point to removing the testing requirement
for vaccinated residents within the 27-nation bloc. for fully vaccinated travelers, aviation industry
experts aver.
According to the EU’s recommendation, full vaccinated residents
with a COVID-19 digital certificate, a certificate of recent recovery Data does not support the argument that
from the virus or a negative test result from within 72 hours will be the introduction of travel restrictions causes
able to move freely across the bloc. Additional restrictions will be COVID-19 cases to fall, adds Walsh. IATA has
imposed for residents who are unvaccinated or haven’t recovered been consistent in its stand that international
from the virus. restrictions should not apply for fully vacci-
nated people, and that they should be free to
Mounting Pressure travel without testing or restrictions.
There is pressure on the U.S. Government to make air travel
“In fact, if you look at, we say the end of 2020,
December 2020, when a lot of restrictions were
in place, you could see cases increasing and
then decreasing and then increasing again,
despite no changes to government policies,”
adds Walsh. “So, as we’ve said on many occa-
sions, these restrictions on international travel
do very little--very, very little--to suppress the
transmission of the virus.”
Brighter Days Expected
Walsh remains optimistic about the recovery
of international travel. “Once restrictions start
to be removed, and we’re seeing evidence of
that now, we should see international travel
recovery, because it’s clear that the underly-
ing demand from passengers remains quite

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