IATA highlights importance of air connectivity, says travel pass on the way

The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) high-level conference on Covid-19 took place earlier this month, with the conference exploring the issues around the aviation industry’s recovery, as well as its sustainability beyond the global pandemic.

The conference involved ministers, deputy ministers and the heads of 24 international bodies conducting a thorough review of the aviation industry’s key concerns and formalising a set number of objectives, distilled in a commitment to boosting air tourism’s recovery and reconnecting the world.

Among the commitments enshrined during the conference, was a pledge to encourage risk management strategies among member states to restore international connectivity, including the recognition of domestic health and vaccination certificates.

“The level of commitment and engagement demonstrated has been remarkable, and I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation for the valuable contributions that have led to the successful outcome of this Conference,” ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano said.

Sciacchitano explained that the common declaration exhibited solidarity and determination among participants and that it sent a ‘strong political message to international communities and world economies’.

“These outcomes are of urgent concern today to the many millions of people around the world whose livelihoods so fundamentally depend on the capabilities and reach of global aviation,” ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said.

“They are also of key importance to the wider global economic and supply chain recovery, and to the most basic socio-economic needs of all ICAO Member States,” Salazar added.

Following the event and the consensus reached by the time of its conclusion, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) asked that governments around the world use the ICAO conference as a springboard to bring about positive changes in global air connectivity.

“Government-imposed restrictions continue to stop a revival of international travel, as it remains 70 per cent down on pre-crisis levels,” IATA said in a statement.

“The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) high-level conference commitments show that governments understand what is needed to re-start global connectivity,” the association added.

IATA explained that the next step is implementing the steps outlined at the conference, noting that some governments have already begun this process.

One example given by IATA was the United States, where the market is now open to vaccinated travellers.

However, IATA cautioned member states that the commitments taken at the conference must become actions.

“The airline industry, 88 million livelihoods, 3.5 per cent of global GDP and billions of travellers are counting on governments to deliver on the risk-managed reopening of international travel to which they have committed,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh commented.

Walsh also provided an update on the IATA travel, a system designed to digitally manage pandemic-related testing, vaccination and recovery certification.

“Airlines cannot afford a restart that is compromised by paper-based processes for checking travel health credentials,” Walsh said.

“Testing is complete and several airlines are already starting implementation of IATA Travel Pass across their networks,” he added.

Walsh concluded by explaining that the IATA travel pass is a ready-made solution for governments wanting to be prepared to efficiently manage their documentation processes as demand increases.