In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s 30-day ban on flights between Europe and the US, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has urged governments to roll back or refrain from introducing travel restrictions.
Reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that the COVID-19 outbreak has now spread to over 100 countries. The organisation has found that in the majority of countries where the virus is present, the spread is now predominantly through local transmission rather than from imported cases. The WHO has repeatedly advised against travel or trade restrictions as such measures are generally ineffective. Furthermore, according to the airline association, travel restrictions cause significant disruptions to supply chains, commerce, trade and most importantly to peoples’ livelihoods due to the severe economic impact.
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Based on the latest situation report, issued by WHO on March 10, 2020, although over 90 countries have introduced some form of travel restrictions, only 45 States have informed WHO of such additional measures and provided the associated public health rationale, as required under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
WHO has also noted that travel restrictions, if introduced, must be based on a careful risk assessment, be proportionate to the public health risk, be short in duration, and be reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves.
According to the AAPA, the airline industry has been adhering strictly to WHO and IATA guidelines on inflight hygiene and disinfection, including the stepping up of cleaning of aircraft and airline lounges, and the use of hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems on board aircraft. To date, the association announced it was not aware of any reports of COVID -19 infections attributed to inflight transmission.
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“The airline industry is fully committed to the safety and well-being of the travelling public,” says Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director-General. “Asia Pacific airlines are well-equipped to handle health crises and are strictly following established guidelines developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in consultation with the WHO and Airports Council International (ACI), covering the management of public health risks. However, the proliferation of travel restrictions worldwide, and insufficient adherence to the IHR are imposing enormous costs on society with little or no public health benefits.”
Given that the COVID-19 outbreak is now progressing across the globe, it is time for a fundamental rethink on travel restrictions, according to the AAPA. “Governments must strengthen cooperation across borders and work together with WHO, ICAO, and other stakeholders to develop a more globally coordinated set of policy measures, in addressing the current outbreak, avoiding unnecessary social and economic disruption,” says Mr Herdman. “Additional resources could then be directed towards strengthening the public health response.”
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