New sanitary measures for air transport

Text by: Altin Lazaj

ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, has published a series of health recommendations that airlines should follow for air travel. The objective is to revive air traffic at the time of deconfinement in many countries.

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The airlines are reassured: the International Civil Aviation Organization does not ultimately recommend leaving one seat out of two to ensure physical distance between passengers. The sector considered this system untenable economically. The organization, however, requires that travelers be as far apart from each other as possible, depending on the occupancy of the aircraft. Other recommended measures include wearing a mandatory mask inside the terminal as well as on board the aircraft. Food on board will need to be pre-packed, and the aircraft regularly disinfected.

The organization also suggests that each traveler present a health declaration upon arrival at the airport and undergo a first temperature check. "  This declaration of good health is vague," says Gérard Feldzer, an aeronautical consultant. I do not see how the 4.5 billion passengers can go to obtain health certificates in each country. In my opinion the organization should give more details in the coming days, otherwise the countries will not accept such a measure.  "

ICAO also suggests that passengers travel as light as possible, either with small carry-on baggage. They must not be accompanied by third parties in airport spaces, except for disabled people. "  Today, companies will do the accounts and they could pass the cost of these measures on the price of tickets,  " warns Gérard Feldzer.

All these measures could evolve according to the risk assessment. If they are not mandatory for companies, they are the subject of a broad consensus among companies, says the organization. This guide to good health practice had become essential at the time of the gradual start of air traffic, one of the sectors most affected by the covid crisis19. According to ICAO, the pandemic could reduce the number of passengers by 1.5 billion by the end of the year, while airlines could lose more than 282 billion euros in 2020.

NEWS RELEASE: The ICAO Council adopted a new report and recommendations today aimed at RESTARTING the international air transport system and aligning its global recovery. Find out about it RIGHT NOW - https://t.co/rB1Qbz57N2#aviation pic.twitter.com/WdOgIBM9B8

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• Aeronautics
• Transport
• Coronavirus