A globally-consistent approach to testing international passengers as an alternative to quarantine measures has been demanded.
The joint call came from Iata and the Airports Council International (ACI).
They warn that some 4.8 million industry jobs have been lost or are under threat in the face of a global shut down of air transport as a result of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
The two aviation industry associations urged governments to co-operate to remove quarantine restrictions and restart air travel.
They believe a systematic approach to Covid-19 testing will provide an effective way to give governments the confidence to re-open borders without quarantine.
The demand coincided with the UK government establishing a Global Travel Taskforce to consider a single test taken after a period of self-isolation, provided by the private sector and paid for by passengers.
But Iata and ACI want to see an internationally agreed and recognised approach to testing passengers during the travel process that is fast, practical, accurate, low-cost, easy-to-use and supported by public health authorities.
The aviation industry has worked with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which included the World Health Organisation, to agree a “layered approach” to health measures that will enable safe operations amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Iata director general and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said borders must be reopened without quarantine.
He said: “Systematic testing is the key to restoring connectivity. That’s critical because millions of jobs depend aviation. And millions more travellers want and need to reconnect with family, take a hard-earned vacation or support their international business needs.
“We must learn to live with this disease and that includes safely restoring the freedom to travel.
“Already we have measures in place to ensure safe journeys through ICAO’s CART recommendations.
“And trials around the world are helping us to demonstrate that we have effective testing technology that can be efficiently integrated into the travel process.
“We count on ICAO’s leadership to bring governments into agreement on an implementation plan so that aviation can reconnect people and economies. We need to do this with speed. Each day of delay puts more jobs at risk.”
ACI director general Luis Felipe de Oliveira said: “Airports and airlines are united in the view that a consistent approach to testing passengers will help to restore the confidence of passengers, avoid border closures, and remove cumbersome quarantine measures which are hampering the genuine efforts of the aviation industry to recover.
“This will better foster recovery among airports, airlines and the travel and tourism sectors, thereby protecting jobs and providing the economic and social benefits that aviation delivers to the local, national, and global communities it serves.”