Page 75 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

IATA ADVOCATES A

CO-ORDINATED RESTART

OF AVIATION

By Hilka Birns

governments in Africa, with the
guest accommodation remains exception of Senegal, despite • Boarding with re-
IATA is advocating a globally closed and video conferencing a combined call from IATA, designed gate areas,
coordinated plan for the safe has become the new norm) and AFRAA, AASA, UNWTO and congestion-reducing
restart of air travel using a whether a partial reopening of WTTC for (US) $10bn in aid for boarding priorities and
standardised set of temporary air travel will be economically African aviation. IATA research hand luggage limits
measures to be adopted by all feasible for airlines. A slow reveals African aviation has • Cleaning and sanitization
ramp-up is expected given
stakeholders in order to avoid the lead times needed to been the worst hit by the of high touch areas,
confusing passengers. get airline, airport and air economic effects of COVID-19, including wide use of
hand sanitisers
This was the message from navigation operations ready. recording a 95% drop-off in air
regional vice president Africa Association of South African travel in Q1. IATA estimates In- flight:
and Middle East, Muhammad Travel Agents (ASATA) chief airline losses in Africa at (US) • Facemasks for all
Ali Al Bakri, during a recent executive, Otto de Vries, told $6bn, resulting in 3.1m job passengers and crew
online media briefing. He said World Airnews that a huge losses in aviation and related • Simplified cabin service
governments would, however, amount of work and lobbying industries and (US) $28bn loss and pre-packaged
have the flexibility to adapt was happening behind the in GDP contributions. catering to reduce
these measures to their own scenes for an earlier restart of interaction between
situation in the fight against air travel. IATA’s road map to restart passengers and crew
COVID-19. The Tourism Business Council travel suggests the following: • Reduced congregation
IATA is participating in the of South Africa (TBCSA) also Airports: of passengers, e.g. by
COVID-19 Aviation Recovery has prepared a motivational • Access to terminals will prohibiting queues for
Task Force (CART) of the document with protocols that be restricted to staff and washrooms
International Civil Aviation align with guidelines of the travellers • More frequent deep
Organization (ICAO) and World Health Organisation • Temperature screening cleaning of cabins
has published a bio-security (WHO), the National Institute at terminal entrances Arrival airport:
roadmap for the safe for Communicable Diseases • Physical distancing • Temperature screening
resumption of aviation. (NICD) and the Department of through all passenger of arriving passengers
It is engaging governments of Health. processes, including • Automated procedures
21 countries (including Ethiopia “The ball is in all of our courts queue management for customs and border
and Ghana) on the plan, which to make it happen,” said De • Use of face masks for control, including use of
recommends scientifically- Vries. “The airline sector is passengers and staff mobile applications and
based multilayered measures heavily regulated and if ever • Self-service options biometric technologies
“that will ensure that we regain there was a sector that could for check-in to reduce • Accelerated processing
the confidence of passengers deliver on the protocols, it contact points and and baggage reclaim to
and can provide the necessary would be aviation. We have to queues, including enable social distancing
assurances to governments open up aviation and the rest remote check-in by reducing congestion
and health authorities that air will follow.” (electronic or home and queuing
travel will not act as an agent Meanwhile, IATA has printed boarding passes), • Health declarations and
to spread the virus. There is no expressed concern that automated bag drops contact tracing to reduce
one ‘silver bullet’ solution,” Al aviation-specific relief aid has (with home printed bag the risk of imported
Bakri said. not been forthcoming from tags) and self-boarding
He stressed the measures transmission cases. Q
would be temporary “until
we have a vaccine, immunity
passports or nearly instant
COVID-19 testing available at
large scale”.
This comes as South Africa
moves to Level 3 COVID-19
restrictions on June 1, which
will allow a phasing in of limited
domestic air travel for business
purposes only.
It remains to be seen
whether there will be enough
demand from business
travellers (bearing in mind that

World Airnews | June Extra 2020
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