Air France planes on the tarmac of an airport (illustrative image).

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Mario FOURMY / SIPA

After two months of still very low traffic this summer, the airlines called on Tuesday for better coordination between the various states to put an end to the “chaotic” restrictions at the borders and to the “confusion” in the procedures.

To avoid a quarantine, "which should be a measure of last resort", of arriving passengers, the Association Airlines for Europe (A4E), which brings together the main European companies, called for the implementation of “Rapid and reliable tests” of Covid-19 at the start.

"We need a common European approach"

It calls into question "chaotic restrictions at the borders" and "the confusion reigning around quarantine measures, passenger forms which are variable and testing requirements" depending on the country, in the weak recovery this summer.

“A standardized testing program is urgently required if we are to regain passenger confidence,” commented Thomas Reynaert, the organization's director.

If traffic improved slightly in Europe in July, it stagnated in August with only 30% of travelers compared to the same period last year, according to the organization.

Coordination between states must be "a political priority" for the European Union, said Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM and president of A4E, adding that the anti-Covid-19 measures taken "without any coordination over the past six months have had a devastating impact on freedom of movement ”.

"Uncertainty as to the procedures applied on arrival by the authorities" is one of the brakes on restarting, said Patrick Ky, the executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

"We need a common European approach," he added.

The plane, "certainly healthier than most other modes of transport"

EASA and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) released health safety guidelines in May.

They recommend in particular measures of physical distancing "as far as possible" and the wearing of a medical mask for air travel.

It "is now proven that people should not be afraid of flying, the probability of contracting the disease is very low," said Patrick Ky. According to a study carried out by EASA in the last week of August in 3 million passengers in Europe, only "180 have not been authorized to travel or have been disembarked due to symptoms" of the coronavirus, or 6 in 100,000, he explained.

Of the 3 million passengers monitored, "seven presented symptoms of Covid on board the plane", he added.

"Air transport is a healthy system and certainly healthier than most other modes of transport and than everyday activities like going shopping," he said.

The airline industry has been one of the most affected by the coronavirus crisis around the world.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) estimates the decrease in traffic for 2020 at 55% and estimates the loss of companies' turnover at 419 billion, or 50% compared to 2019.

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  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Aeronautics

  • Plane

  • Air traffic

  • Airline company

  • Economy