Travelers Need Systematic Testing For COVID-19 Before Flights - IATA

Travelers Need Systematic Testing for COVID-19 Before Flights - IATA

Airline passengers need to be systematically tested for the novel coronavirus before embarking on any flights, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a press release on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd September, 2020) Airline passengers need to be systematically tested for the novel coronavirus before embarking on any flights, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a press release on Tuesday.

"IATA called for the development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure as an alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity," the release said.

IATA will work through the International Civil Aviation Organization and with health authorities to implement the process rapidly, the release continued.

"The key to restoring the freedom of mobility across borders is systematic COVID-19 testing of all travelers before departure. This will give governments the confidence to open their borders without complicated risk models that see constant changes in the rules imposed on travel," IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said.

International travel is 92 percent down on 2019 levels, according to the release.

Numerous critics, however, have pointed out that the existing tests have been largely inaccurate, showing a significant number of false positive results.