Ryanair called on all EU governments to adopt the EU’s proposed traffic light system to enable safe travel, ahead of an EU Council meeting on 13 October.
The comments came as the International Air Transport Association said that there had been 44 cases of Covid-19 contracted during flights, over a period during which 1.2 billion passengers had travelled.
The traffic light system was proposed last month by the European Commission and includes common criteria on epidemiological risks, a shared colour-coding of risk areas, as well as a joint approach on returning from high-risk areas.
The EC called on EU states to provide to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control with the number of new cases per 100,000 population over 14 days, plus tests carried out per 100,000 people during every seven-day period, and the test-positivity rates.
The traffic light system allows safe travel to and from 15 countries listed as ‘green’ and ‘amber’ with no restrictions. For 15 ‘red’-list countries, there may be restrictions in place (e.g testing pre-departure/on arrival).
Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said: “We urge all EU governments to adopt the EU traffic light system without delay. Europe’s aviation and tourism industries cannot afford further job losses, and until a vaccine is available, we must learn to live with the virus.
“The implementation of this coordinated regional approach will help restore consumer confidence ahead of a difficult winter season, and also allow all airlines plan for Summer 2021, with millions of jobs dependent on the recovery of our aviation and tourism sectors.
“As confirmed by the WHO, aviation is not responsible for an increase in EU Covid rates and quarantines simply don’t work. EU governments need to act fast and implement the EU traffic Light system immediately following the Council meeting and give Europe’s tourism economies the relief that’s much needed”.
IATA reported that since the start of 2020 there had been 44 cases of Covid-19 reported in which transmission is thought to have been associated with a flight journey (inclusive of confirmed, probable and potential cases). Over the same period some 1.2 billion passengers had travelled.
Dr. David Powell, IATA’s Medical Advisor, said: “The risk of a passenger contracting COVID-19 while onboard appears very low. With only 44 identified potential cases of flight-related transmission among 1.2 billion travellers, that’s one case for every 27 million travellers. We recognise that this may be an underestimate but even if 90% of the cases were unreported, it would be one case for every 2.7 million travellers. We think these figures are extremely reassuring. Furthermore, the vast majority of published cases occurred before the wearing of face coverings inflight became widespread.”
A meeting of G20 tourism leaders, the WTTC and hospitality executives last week called for international collaboration, eliminating travel barriers and an international testing protocol at departure to help save an estimated 100 million jobs in the sector.
Keith Barr, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group, who attended the meeting, said: “The travel and tourism industry plays a critical role in the global economy and in communities all over the world. The pace and strength at which a recovery can be supported is therefore of great importance. Collaboration between government and industry is absolutely key to this and I am incredibly encouraged by the level of partnership and commitment we’ve seen at this historic G20 meeting.”
Gabriel Escarrer, executive chairman & CEO, Meliá Hotels International, said: “At this crossroads in history for the global travel industry, when it is more important than ever that we all think and act together, countries must agree on common criteria and indicators to allow the tourism flows, whilst ensuring the maximum level of health security.
“Within the WTTC we are all aligned and speak with one voice, ready to move forward together towards the reopening of borders as the first step in the sustainable recovery of travel.”
Insight: The pandemic came as a shock to everyone, even those who had watched Contagion which, in case anyone somehow hasn’t seen it yet, was less fiction and more documentary. The sector watched in shock as country after country locked up its citizens for their own good and travel as we know it stopped entirely.
Now here we are again. If not actually there, then very nearly there and while this correspondent continues to book ski trips, it’s only with suppliers offering no-backchat refunds.
But this time around the sector isn’t taking it lying down. That is not to say it wants to take risks with people’s lives. This pandemic has been presented as a zero-sum game: lives or economy. It is not. And now the sector is wiser. It has masks and sanitiser and can prove its safety. But it cannot do it alone. Governments must put in test and trace systems to support the precautions being taken by airlines and hotels and those who do will be those for whom the worst is now behind them.