OneWorld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance have called for governments to implement aligned travel measures to resume international travel and global connectivity.
The three global airline alliances are urging the G7 governments to adopt a common set of travel and health standards at their forthcoming leadership summit which will be held between June 11-13.
The CEOs of the three airline alliances – Kristin Colville at SkyTeam, Rob Gurney for Oneworld, and Jeffrey Goh of Star Alliance said in unison, “International air travel is the engine of the global economy, with tourism a vital part of the human experience. With considerable data now available to support government decisions in managing risks, decisive action from G7 members to define and support consistent, aligned and data-driven measures would remove uncertainty, particularly around testing and quarantine.”
While the rollout of vaccines offers hope in many regions, the varying and fast-changing travel regulations across countries and at different airport hubs still create confusion and stress for customers.
The alliances which together represented nearly two-thirds of the global air capacity before COVID-19 have urged G7 governments to provide better clarity by leading the world in aligning to the following travel measures that will reconnect travellers with the world, safely and securely:
• Quarantine free travel for fully vaccinated passengers.
• Easily accessible, affordable and consistent COVID-19 testing measures.
• No additional testing or quarantine restrictions for connecting passengers at international hub airports, at the point of transfer if remaining in the transit zone.
Furthermore, the three global airline alliances support IATA’s recommendation for governments to implement digital processes to manage travel health credentials including vaccine and test certificates. IATA recommended that the G7 member states agree to common rules and standards for health credentials that have been laid out by the World Health Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization.
The three alliance CEOs said, “Vaccination will have a key role in the restart of international air travel and tourism. Governments should accept accredited vaccination as a safe and appropriate reason to avoid quarantines. In the meantime, while we wait for the population to be substantially vaccinated, it is important to have robust and consistent testing protocols, along with NEW YORK, AMSTERDAM, FRANKFURT, June 10, 2021 – To facilitate the safe restart of interoperable digital solutions developed to facilitate the customer journey.”
