Oneworld, Skyteam and Star Alliance have issued a joint statement urging governments to agree on a common set of travel and health standards to enable the safe reopening of borders.
With members of the G7 meeting in the UK this week, the world’s three major airline alliances have called on the government’s “to lead the world in aligning to the following travel measures to reconnect travellers with the world, safely and securely”.
Among the measures being called for include:
- Fully vaccinated passengers being exempt from quarantine
- Easily accessible, affordable and consistent Covid-19 testing
- Adoption of digital processes to manage travel health credentials including vaccine and test certificates
- G7 member states to agree to common requirements and standards for health credentials as set out by the World Health Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization
- Connecting passengers at airports not being subject to additional testing or quarantine restrictions at the point of transfer if remaining in the transit zone
The alliances pointed to a recent OECD study estimating that international tourism declined by around 80 per cent in 2020, and warnings from the World Travel and Tourism Council that up to 174 million jobs could be at risk globally.
“International air travel and tourism are vital to the global economy,” said CEOs Kristin Colvile (Skyteam), Rob Gurney (Oneworld) and Jeffrey Goh (Star Alliance).
“With considerable data now available to support government decisions in managing risks, decisive action from G7 members to open borders and support clear, consistent, and data-driven measures, would remove uncertainty, particularly around testing and quarantine.
“Vaccination will have a key role in the restart of international air travel and tourism. We strongly advocate for governments to accept accredited vaccination as a safe and appropriate reason to avoid quarantines.
“In the meantime, while we wait for the global population to be substantially vaccinated, it is important to have robust and consistent testing protocols, along with interoperable digital solutions developed to facilitate the customer journey.”
It’s not the first time the three alliances have presented a united front in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis – last summer they highlighted hygiene measures being taken by member carriers including face mask requirements, increased cleaning and the use of HEPA filters on aircraft.
