The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has called for standardised health measures to facilitate air travel. Measures must be consistent, pragmatic and risk-managed, AAPA said.
“Aviation supports 65.5 million jobs around the world, with one job in the industry supporting 24 other jobs in the wider economy, but these livelihoods are now jeopardised due to the drastic plunge in travel demand,” AAPA commented. “The United Nations World Tourism Organisation sees tourism declining as much as -80 per cent this year. The progressive resumption of air travel would be key to helping jumpstart economic activity.
“AAPA recognises that public health measures such as widespread testing, contact tracing and social distancing are now progressively being implemented by governments across the world. Similar measures are also being discussed as conditions to the resumption of air travel, but such measures need to be consistent, coherent and coordinated amongst governments working closely together with airlines, airports and health authorities, in line with the relevant World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
“To address public confidence concerns over the safety of air travel, any measures should be practical and based on accepted medical standards, as part of a robust risk management framework.”
AAPA Director General Subhas Menon said, “Wherever possible, processes such as travellers’ health declarations should be automated and made available on mobile devices for the convenience of the travelling public. Departure screening procedures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 should preferably be applied before travellers board their flights. Precautionary measures onboard are being discussed, and will likely include the compulsory wearing of masks by all travellers and airline crew. Other measures such as leaving the middle seat empty have been suggested, but would make air travel much more costly without any meaningful public benefit in terms of risk reduction.”
He added, “The COVID-19 pandemic is probably the greatest challenge that the global air transport industry has ever faced. The industry must introduce and adapt processes to minimise risk while at the same time restoring confidence and trust in air travel. Travelers should be able to undertake journeys with full confidence that measures are being undertaken to protect their wellbeing.”
In what seems to be a continuation of Vietnam’s Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang's visit to South Korea in…
GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF), a Dublin-based helicopter leasing and finance company, has secured a contract with Airbus Helicopters and GDAT,…
Indian Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) IndiGo has announced a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft in what is its first…
Racer demonstrator, developed by Airbus Helicopters as part of the European Research Clean Sky 2 initiative, has completed its inaugural…
Lockheed Martin Australia has secured an AUD$500 million contract with the Australian Department of Defence to develop the country’s future…
Artemis Aerospace has announced the addition of a hub in Singapore following the launch of two similar sites in the…
ZeroAvia announced plans to offer key components from its hydrogen-electric engines to fellow innovators in the clean aviation industry on…
Challenge Group has announced the launch of Challenge Technic's specialised A-CHECK line at its hangar facility in Hannover on Wednesday…
Korean Air, alongside Hyundai Motor Company, Korea Telecom (KT), Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, has…
Mayman Aerospace is set to unveil a full-scale model of its high-speed Air Utility Vehicle (AUV), Razor, during SOF Week…
TEKEVER, a provider of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in Europe, introduced its newest drone the ARX in San Diego, U.S.…
Viasat and uAvionix have teamed up to enhance global communication services for Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), with uAvionix joining Viasat’s…
Korean Air and WestJet have extended their codeshare agreement to provide additional transpacific travel options for passengers on Monday (Apr.…
China Eastern Airlines has reached an agreement with Amadeus concerning international NDC distribution, marking a significant development for both parties.…
Singaporean officials have launched an Invincible-class submarine for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) at thyssenKrupp Marine Systems (tKMS) shipyard…
Ten died following a midair collision between an AW139 helicopter and a Fennec helicopter belonging to the Royal Malaysian Navy…
Integrated Surveillance and Defense (ISD) has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD),…
ST Engineering AirX (AirX), a joint venture between ST Engineering and Peluca (formerly known as Wigetworks), have announced a strategic…
WestJet Cargo is strengthening its flights between Calgary and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). The route will operate 5-7 times…
Embraer delivered 25 jets in 1Q24, an increase of 67% compared to the 15 aircraft delivered in 1Q23. Executive Aviation…
Harbour Air, North America's largest seaplane airline, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase 50 magni650 electric engines,…
Emirates President Sir Tim Clark has apologised to customers for the disruptions caused by the severe weather that battered Dubai…
The Indonesian Navy (TNI Angkatan Laut - TNI AL) aims to enhance its operational capabilities between 2025 and 2044 with…
The Philippine Armed Forces (PAF) took delivery of the first India-made BrahMos land-based anti-ship missile system at Clark Air Base…
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) ordered six Airbus H145 helicopters as part of its efforts to update its rotary…
The Brazilian aerospace company, Embraer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AICAT (Austrian Industrial Cooperation & Aviation Technology) to…
Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) announced that it has reclaimed the title of the "World’s Best Airport" at the prestigious…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) joined the Sharp Technics K (STK) and Incheon International Airport Corporation for a ceremony heralding the…
Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions division has forged a strategic alliance and reseller agreement with Rancher Government Solutions (RGS), a provider of…
Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, has experienced a significant surge in brand value, as indicated by the latest…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.