Airline, Organisations & Operators,

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has sought to demonstrate the low incidence of in-flight Covid-19 transmission with an updated tally of published cases.
Since the start of 2020 there have been 44 cases of Covid-19 reported in which transmission is thought to have been associated with a flight journey (inclusive of confirmed, probable and potential cases).
Over the same period some 1.2 billion passengers have travelled.
“The risk of a passenger contracting Covid-19 while onboard appears very low.

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“With only 44 identified potential cases of flight-related transmission among 1.2 billion travellers, that’s one case for every 27 million travellers.
“We recognise that this may be an underestimate but even if 90 per cent of the cases were un-reported, it would be one case for every 2.7 million travellers.
“We think these figures are extremely reassuring. 
“Furthermore, the vast majority of published cases occurred before the wearing of face coverings inflight became widespread,” said David Powell, IATA medical advisor.
New insight into why the numbers are so low has come from the joint publication by Airbus, Boeing and Embraer of separate computational fluid dynamics research conducted by each manufacturer in their aircraft.
While methodologies differed slightly, each detailed simulation confirmed that aircraft airflow systems do control the movement of particles in the cabin, limiting the spread of viruses. Data from the simulations yielded similar results:
Aircraft airflow systems, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, the natural barrier of the seatback, the downward flow of air, and high rates of air exchange efficiently reduce the risk of disease transmission on board in normal times.
The addition of mask-wearing amid pandemic concerns adds a further and significant extra layer of protection, which makes being seated in close proximity in an aircraft cabin safer than most other indoor environments.
IATA’s data collection, and the results of the separate simulations, align with the low numbers reported in a recently published peer-reviewed study by Freedman and Wilder-Smith in the Journal of Travel Medicine.
Although there is no way to establish an exact tally of possible flight-associated cases, IATA’s outreach to airlines and public health authorities combined with a thorough review of available literature has not yielded any indication that onboard transmission is in any way common or widespread.
Further, the Freedman/Wilder-Smith study points to the efficacy of mask-wearing in further reducing risk.
“ICAO’s comprehensive guidance for safe air travel amid the Covid-19 crisis relies on multiple layers of protection, which involve the airports as well as the aircraft.
“Mask-wearing is one of the most visible.
“But managed queuing, contactless processing, reduced movement in the cabin, and simplified onboard services are among the multiple measures the aviation industry is taking to keep flying safe.
“And this is on top of the fact that airflow systems are designed to avoid the spread of disease with high air flow rates and air exchange rates, and highly effective filtration of any recycled air,” concluded Powell.
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The UK travel sector has given a muted welcome to the launch of a travel taskforce from the UK government, urging quick action to reopen borders to international visitors.
Announced earlier, the new body will examine possible changes to current quarantine requirements, as well as the practicalities of introducing testing on arrival to reduce isolation periods.
Following the news, ABTA chief executive, Mark Tanzer, said: “The creation of the global travel taskforce shows a recognition from government of the need to get people travelling again to support the travel industry, which has been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis.
“The taskforce needs to focus on decisive and urgent action, not only on rapidly introducing a testing regime, but also on moving to a regionalised quarantine approach and lifting the global advisory against travel – returning to providing travel advice for individual countries based on the risk to a traveller in destination.
“Other countries have already moved to introduce testing, and further delays will only serve to exacerbate the industry’s struggles – especially as the winter season is fast approaching.
“With furlough ending this month, and the new job support scheme doing little to support travel businesses, without tailored support we’ll see more job losses and businesses folding.”
The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK struck a similar tone, welcoming the commitment towards delivering a testing regime, but warning airlines remain frustrated with the timescale for delivery.
Dale Keller, chief executive of BAR UK, said: “This far into the crisis airlines expected more detail than an announcement of a new taskforce.
“The industry has been continuously engaged with the government, including in the expert steering group formed back in May.
“A huge amount of international experience and proposals have been input so far, including the benefits of pre-departure testing, and we believe that a scheme could be implemented very quickly in a matter of weeks.”

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He added: “We are concerned that the secretary of state for transport is still quoting only seven per cent effectiveness of testing on arrival at airports, a figure that is wholly dismissed as flawed assumptions by the industry from overseas trials.
“If the government wants more data it should urgently take up the industry’s proposals for a trial-based data-led approach to inform the taskforce and achieve the best outcomes.”
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said the announcement represents “much needed progress,” but warned every day counts when the economy and half a million jobs that rely on aviation are at stake.
A statement added: “We support the government’s decision to opt for a single-test, private sector-led, passenger-funded approach that does not compete for, nor divert, vital NHS testing resources, to reduce travel restrictions while protecting public health.
“But a firm commitment that a comprehensive testing regime will be implemented in November is required to boost consumer confidence, enable global travel and protect jobs.
“A test on five days, which the government’s own evidence suggests would be ‘highly effective’, must be the starting point.
“Trials between Heathrow and New York should take place in parallel to generate real world data for a pre-departure and on arrival testing approach, as well as regional mainland travel corridors, so that policy can quickly evolve.
“Removing quarantine is the only way to truly open up the skies and enable the UK’s economic recovery to take-off.”
Joss Croft, chief executive of UKinbound, reminded the government of what was a stake, saying the £28 billion contribution overseas travel made to the UK economy last year was at stake.
He continued: “Introducing testing on arrival would be a significant step in the right direction and show that the UK is open for businesses.
“We are waiting to see the detail, but this move would help to boost consumer confidence to travel again to the UK.
“Demand and visitor numbers won’t bounce back overnight, and many UK tourism businesses are still facing a very bleak winter or worse – which is why the government needs to provide targeted support for viable inbound tourism businesses, to ensure they can survive until demand returns later in 2021, as they will significantly support the recovery of international travel.”
Finally, a statement from Chris Galanty, global chief executive of the business travel divisions at Flight Centre urged for quick action.
“We understand that the UK government has a hard balance to strike between the health of the nation and the success of the economy, so we’re happy to hear that a dedicated global travel taskforce has been created to alleviate the issues facing the business and leisure travel sectors.
“We implore the taskforce to work quickly and efficiently with partners from the aviation, travel, healthcare and testing sectors to resolve the current 14-day quarantine period which is affecting business travel companies up and down the country.
“We believe safe travel is the most important way forward and would like to see movement on airport testing, quarantine exemptions for business travellers and transparent guidelines to get the travel industry and economy going.”
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Ahead of the G20 summit in Saudi Arabia, which includes a dedicated tourism segment, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), as the two parties work together to restart global tourism.
Highlighting unique status of the UNWTO as a bridge between the UN system and the private sector, the new agreement will focus on enhancing consumer confidence in travel and placing sustainability at the centre of recovery and future growth.
From the start of the current crisis, the body has sought to lead the way in addressing the key factor needed for the successful restart of tourism.
This agreement with the global trade association for the airline sector builds on this and deepens the existing collaboration between both organisations to keep geared towards restoring the confidence of travellers.
UNWTO secretary general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said: “Air travel is an essential component of global tourism.

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“This partnership between UNWTO and IATA will see us work closely together to increase confidence in flying and tourism in general.
“UNWTO will use our expertise in innovation and our status as a connector of public and private sector leaders to help get aviation moving again.”
“This partnership between UNWTO and IATA will see us work closely together to increase confidence in flying and tourism in general.”
As well as focusing on building and maintaining confidence in international travel, the new agreement will also see UNWTO and IATA work closely together to foster innovation and promote greater public-private collaboration.
As tourism restarts, this memorandum will help ensure recovery is sustainable and inclusive.
IATA director general, Alexandre de Juniac, said: “The safe opening of international borders to tourism is essential.
“Tourists want to feel safe, and they want to be confident that their travel plans won’t be affected by last-minute changes to rules and regulations.
“For this to happen, even greater collaboration between the public and private sectors is needed.
“This enhanced partnership with the World Tourism Organisation will help guide aviation’s recovery over the critical months ahead.”
IATA has been an affiliate member of UNWTO since 1978, providing a strong voice for the international air transport sector.
This latest partnership comes as UNWTO continues to lead the global tourism sector in its response to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for the deployment of rapid Covid-19 testing for all passengers.
The trade body said accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic testing before departure was a preferable alternative to quarantine measures.
Testing would allow airlines to re-establish global air connectivity, IATA said.
Officials said they would work through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and with health authorities to implement this solution quickly.International travel is 92 per cent down on 2019 levels.
Over half a year has passed since global connectivity was destroyed as countries closed their borders to fight Covid-19.
Some governments have cautiously re-opened borders since then, but there has been limited uptake because either quarantine measures make travel impractical or the frequent changes in Covid-19 measures make planning impossible.

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“The key to restoring the freedom of mobility across borders is systematic Covid-19 testing of all travellers before departure.
“This will give governments the confidence to open their borders without complicated risk models that see constant changes in the rules imposed on travel.
“Testing all passengers will give people back their freedom to travel with confidence.
“And that will put millions of people back to work,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA director general.
The economic cost of the breakdown in global connectivity makes investing in a border-opening testing solution a priority for governments.
The human suffering and global economic pain of the crisis will be prolonged if the aviation industry – on which at least 65.5 million jobs depend – collapses before the pandemic ends.
And the amount of government support needed to avert such a collapse is rising. Already lost revenues are expected to exceed $400 billion and the industry was set to post a record net loss of over $80 billion in 2020 under a more optimistic rebound scenario than has actually unfolded.
“Safety is aviation’s top priority.
“We are the safest form of transport because we work together as an industry with governments to implement global standards.
“With the economic cost associated with border closures rising daily and a second-wave of infections taking hold, the aviation industry must call on this expertise to unite with governments and medical testing providers to find a rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, and scalable testing solution that will enable the world to safely re-connect and recover,” concluded de Juniac.
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The International Air Transport Association has outlined the need for an urgent rescue plan for UK aviation, in the face of what it brands an “imminent unemployment catastrophe”.
The United Kingdom is experiencing an air transport crisis, which threatens to put more than 820,000 people out of work across the entire UK economy, IATA said.
The damage has been exacerbated by government policies, particularly the imposition of quarantine measures which kill demand for air travel.

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Without immediate action, the UK will fall behind international partners and will quickly lose its coveted position as the third biggest global aviation market, the trade body said.
In order to resume air connectivity and save thousands of jobs, the UK government must set out a rescue plan for UK aviation.
IATA proposes a four-point plan to outline a roadmap for lifting quarantine measures and create a short-term boost to demand:
A testing regime, to unlock travel from high-risk countries.
A review of the infection threshold for quarantine that is fully transparent and aligned with international partners.
A suspension of Air Passenger Duty to kick-start demand.
Extending the furlough scheme for the air transport sector until border restrictions are lifted and the industry has a chance to recover.
“The stop-start-stop closing of the UK to the world is not a successful survival tactic for Covid-19.
“Without a rescue plan, 820,000 jobs will be vaporized by quarantine and they may never come back.
“The answer is a COVID-19 testing regime that manages the risk to keep people safe from the virus. And it will avoid apocalyptic unemployment that is sure to devastate society and the economy,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA director general.
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The International Air Transport Association has urged governments to begin careful planning to ensure full preparedness for when vaccines for Covid-19 are approved and available for distribution.
The association also warned of potentially severe capacity constraints, with as many as 8,000 aircraft needed for the huge task.
Air cargo plays a key role in the distribution of vaccines in normal times through well-established global time- and temperature-sensitive distribution systems.
This capability will be crucial to the quick and efficient transport and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines when they are available, and it will not happen without careful planning, led by governments and supported by industry stakeholders.
“Safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry.

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“But it won’t happen without careful advance planning.
“And the time for that is now.
“We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead,” said IATA director general, Alexandre de Juniac.
Vaccines must be handled and transported in line with international regulatory requirements, at controlled temperatures and without delay to ensure the quality of the product.
While there are still many unknowns (number of doses, temperature sensitivities, manufacturing locations, etc.), it is clear that the scale of activity will be vast, that cold chain facilities will be required and that delivery to every corner of the planet will be needed.
Working effectively with health and customs authorities will, therefore, be essential to ensure timely regulatory approvals, adequate security measures, appropriate handling and customs clearance.
This could be a particular challenge given that, as part of Covid-19 prevention measures, many governments have put in place measures that increase processing times.
“Delivering billions of doses of vaccine to the entire world efficiently will involve hugely complex logistical and programmatic obstacles all the way along the supply chain.
“We look forward to working together with government, vaccine manufacturers and logistical partners to ensure an efficient global roll-out of a safe and affordable Covid-19 vaccine,” said Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
On top of the transport preparations and coordination needed, governments must also consider the current diminished cargo capacity of the global air transport industry.
IATA warned that, with the severe downturn in passenger traffic, airlines have downsized networks and put many aircraft into remote long-term storage.
The global route network has been reduced dramatically from the pre-Covid 24,000 city pairs.
“The whole world is eagerly awaiting a safe Covid-19 vaccine.
“It is incumbent on all of us to make sure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to the initial doses when they are available.
“As the lead agency for the procurement and supply of the Covid-19 vaccine on behalf of the COVAX Facility, UNICEF will be leading what could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest operation ever.
“The role of airlines and international transport companies will be critical to this endeavour,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF executive director.
The potential size of the delivery is enormous.
Just providing a single dose to 7.8 billion people would fill 8,000 747 cargo aircraft.
Land transport will help, especially in developed economies with local manufacturing capacity.
But vaccines cannot be delivered globally without the significant use air cargo.
“Even if we assume that half the needed vaccines can be transported by land, the air cargo industry will still face its largest single transport challenge ever.
“In planning their vaccine programs, particularly in the developing world, governments must take very careful consideration of the limited air cargo capacity that is available at the moment.
“If borders remain closed, travel curtailed, fleets grounded and employees furloughed, the capacity to deliver life-saving vaccines will be very much compromised,” concluded de Juniac.
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported that passenger demand in July continued at critically low levels.
Measured in revenue passenger kilometres, or RPKs, passenger numbers were 80 per cent below levels seen in the same month last year.
This was somewhat better than the 87 per cent year-over-year decline recorded in June, primarily driven by domestic markets, most notably Russia and China.
Market reopening in the Schengen Area helped to boost international demand in Europe, but other international markets showed little change from June.
Capacity was 70 per cent below 2019 levels and load factor sagged to a record low for July, at 58 per cent.

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“The crisis in demand continued with little respite in July.
“With essentially four in five air travellers staying home, the industry remains largely paralysed.
“Governments reopening and then closing borders or removing and then re-imposing quarantines does not give many consumers confidence to make travel plans, nor airlines to rebuild schedules,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA director general.
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The International Air Transport Association has urged European governments to coordinate efforts to lift border restrictions and find alternatives to quarantine measures in order to avoid further economic damage.
The call comes as part of an update on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on air passenger numbers, employment and economies across the region.
Although the European market has seen an increase in the number of flights in recent months, supported by the reopening of borders between countries of the Schengen area and the non-Schengen EU states, flights are still more than 50 per cent below the same period in 2019.
Passenger numbers are currently forecast to fall by around 60 per cent in 2020, which represents about 705 million passenger journeys.
The near-term outlook for recovery in Europe remains highly uncertain with respect to the second wave of the pandemic and the broader global economic impact it could have.

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Passenger demand in Europe is expected to recover gradually and will not reach 2019 levels until 2024.
With air travel not recovering as originally hoped, the negative impact on employment has increased.
More than seven million jobs supported by aviation (including tourism) in Europe are now at risk (up from around six million estimated in June).
“It is desperately worrying to see a further decline in prospects for air travel this year, and the knock-on impact for employment and prosperity.
“It shows once again the terrible effect that is being felt by families across Europe as border restrictions and quarantine continue.
“It is vital that governments and industry work together to create a harmonized plan for reopening borders,” said Rafael Schvartzman, IATA regional vice president for Europe.
Governments must look at a coordinated way to lift travel restrictions and find alternatives to quarantine requirements, said IATA.
International cooperation to isolate and precisely manage risks is critical to rebuilding confidence in travel.
Of crucial importance is the layering of measures as an alternative to quarantine, including the universal implementation of the ICAO biosafety measures, comprehensive contract tracing, and the potential for testing regimes that are fast, accurate, scalable and affordable.
A stop-go-stop approach to lifting restrictions cannot be the answer, the body added.
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