Global airlines are calling for Covid-19 testing before departure on international flights as an alternative to government-imposed travel restrictions such as quarantines, which the industry says is denting air travel demand.
Tests that are fast, highly accurate, affordable and easy to administer are expected to be available in October and should be adopted by governments as a globally-accepted standard, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) told reporters on Tuesday at an online conference.
"Much will need to be done to achieve 100 per cent testing of all travellers prior to departure, but we don't see any alternative solution that would be less challenging or more effective," Alexandre de Juniac, Iata's director general, said.
The global aviation industry is reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated air travel demand. The worst crisis in the industry's history has caused airlines to slash schedules, cut jobs, ground aircraft, defer plane orders and seek financial aid packages from their governments.
Antigen tests – which detect the presence of an active virus in an infected person – should be available in the market within the "coming weeks" Mr de Juniac said. The tests can produce results within 15 minutes and cost less than $10.
Pre-departure testing should give governments the confidence to reopen their borders and assure passengers that their plans will not change due to last-minute travel restrictions, he said.
The tests will only be meaningful if the results are accepted at the arrival destination, requiring governments to agree on common standards, the Iata chief said.
Iata is proposing pre-departure testing as an alternative to quarantines and other travel restrictions that are "killing" passenger traffic.
The industry body is in talks with governments in the International Civil Aviation Organisation as well bilateral discussions with other states to convince them to adopt the testing proposal.
The tests, which could be administered in specially designated makeshift areas of airports, are a medical measure and would therefore be paid for by governments, Iata said.
The proposal comes as airlines are facing a "much weaker" fourth quarter than Iata had anticipated, Brian Pearce, Iata's chief executive, said. In August, passenger traffic has seen "some further improvement" but international air travel remains "very slow to improve", he said.
If implemented, pre-departure testing could "partly save" the winter season for carriers, Mr de Juniac said.
