ICAO guidelines

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has issued a statement urging governments to quickly implement the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) global guidelines for restoring air connectivity. ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The ICAO Council has approved Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel (www.icao.int/covid/cart/Pages/CART-Take-off.aspx) through the Covid-19 Public Health Crisis. This is an authoritative and comprehensive framework of risk-based temporary measures for air transport operations during the Covid-19 crisis.

“The universal implementation of global standards has made aviation safe. A similar approach is critical in this crisis so that we can safely restore air connectivity as borders and economies re-open,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

“Takeoff” proposes a phased approach to restarting aviation and identifies a set of generally applicable risk-based measures. In line with recommendations and guidance from public health authorities, these will mitigate the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus during the travel process.

These measures include:

• Physical distancing to the extent feasible and implementation of “adequate risk-based measures where distancing is not feasible, for example in aircraft cabins”

• Wearing of face coverings and masks by passengers and aviation workers

• Routine sanitation and disinfection of all areas with potential for human contact and transmission

• Health screening, which could include pre- and post-flight self-declarations, as well as temperature screening and visual observation, “conducted by health professionals”

• Contact tracing for passengers and aviation employees: updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration, and interaction between passengers and governments should be made directly though government portals

• Passenger health declaration forms, including self-declarations in line with the recommendations of relevant health authorities. Electronic tools should be encouraged to avoid paper

• Testing: if and when real-time, rapid and reliable testing becomes available

See IATA  Biosecurity for Air Transport: A Roadmap for Restarting Aviation

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