The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in collaboration with the Airport Council International (ACI), have welcomed the adoption of the European Union Council Recommendation for external travelers coming into the EU and called for further action to help re-start air connectivity.

Announcing the move in a statement on Tuesday, the group said that the new regime aligned with the recommendation already adopted in January regarding intra-EU travel, and thus further strengthened the principle of travel criteria based on travelers’ personal health status rather than on the epidemiological situation of the country or area of departure.

The group said that travel restrictions have little or no impact on the epidemiological spread.

The statement read in part, “Airports and airlines both pointed to the body of evidence supporting this approach, with unequivocal guidance from the World Health Organization along with independent third party research showing that travel restrictions have little or no impact on epidemiological spread”

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“EU states should accept all travelers fully vaccinated with EU approved vaccines without any restrictions or conditions. EU States should accept all travelers fully vaccinated with other WHO-listed vaccines and recovered travelers either without any restrictions/conditions or only with the requirement of a negative pre-departure PCR test. EU states could also fully accept fully vaccinated travelers not holding a valid EU DCC or equivalent, subject to a negative pre-departure PCR test.”

While the recommendation is an undoubted step forward, IATA said the industry called for EU states to move further, towards an unconditional acceptance of all WHO-approved vaccines, and also replacing PCR with rapid antigen testing options.

The Director-General, ACI Europe, Olivier Jankovec, was quoted as saying, “We now know beyond any doubt that a regime based on travelers’ personal health status is right for individuals, for economies, and for societies.  There is no evidence to support any other approach.  As the safe resumption of air connectivity gathers pace, it is vital that member states implement this recommendation, bringing structure, predictability, and harmonisation to the benefit of all.  We urge them to do so,”

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Also, the IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe, Rafael Schvartzman, said, “We welcome this logical Recommendation by the European Council. A vaccinated traveler from outside the EU should be treated no differently to one inside the EU. While we urge member states to implement this recommendation as an important step towards living normally with this virus, it is important that the EU considers more flexibility on the approved vaccine list.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry