Three rival global airline alliances have joined forces to support aviation industry efforts to create a harmonised approach to Covid testing.
Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance are urging governments to adopt guidelines for passenger testing protocols, as well as digital ‘health pass’ technology, to enable long-haul air travel to safely resume.
They voiced full support for a new International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) second-phase Council on Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) report which recommends both solutions.
The collective view, representing 58 airlines accounting for 60% of global capacity, comes against a backdrop of government-imposed travel and entry restrictions continuing to affect global travel demand.
Testing for the virus has emerged as an important part of an end-to-end solution to enable the safe restart of international travel by potentially reducing the reliance on the “blunt instrument” of blanket quarantines.
Recent digital ‘health pass’ trials, such as Common Pass, are presenting a case for using digital technology to deliver harmonised standards in the validation and verification of accredited passenger health data, according to the alliances.
They support technical solutions that provide a “consistent, scalable and affordable way” of declaring passenger health data that is simple to implement, with processes initiated pre-travel to reduce passenger inconvenience at airports.
Rob Gurney, chief executive of the British Airways-backed Oneworld group, said: “With extensive travel restrictions creating much uncertainty for customers, testing can play a role in enabling the safe restart of travel.
“Any solution used in declaring passenger health data should be consistent, scalable and cost effective – this will provide clarity and confidence to customers, airlines and other stakeholders as international travel resumes.”
Star Alliance chief executive Jeffrey Goh said: “We welcome the publication of the updated CART report which, among other things, calls for the serious consideration of screening and testing as a means for easing travel and border restrictions, and reviving the travel and tourism industry and the global economy.
“A robust protocol for testing will also provide further evidence to demonstrate that air travel is not a material cause for infections and will pave the way for a framework of trust to be established between countries.”
SkyTeam chief executive Kristin Colvile added: “Testing regimes and trials of digital health passes have identified means to restoring confidence and reopening borders, complementing the layer upon layer of passenger safety measures already implemented by airlines and airports worldwide.
“Aviation supports millions of jobs around the world and drives international commerce, trade and tourism.
“Urgent action is needed to adopt testing and technology to mitigate Covid risks and safely and quickly revive international air travel.”
