Airports Council International World (ACI) has called on governments globally to take a co-ordinated and risk-based approach when managing inbound travellers from China, following the implementation of travel restrictions by several countries.
“We can’t repeat past mistakes. We are working with ICAO and other international organisations to protect connectivity – which is vital to fully restoring travel, trade, and tourism that provide economic and social benefits to communities worldwide,” says ACI World DG, Luis Felipe de Oliveira.
“As such, we welcome the Government of China’s plan to lift COVID-19 quarantine requirements for international arrivals. As the last major economy in the world to reopen its borders, the decision represents a key milestone in the recovery of air travel. We now call on them to go further and reassess their testing requirements as well.”
ACI World emphasises that, if any health-related travel measures are deemed necessary, they should be risk- and evidence-based, and that governments should aim to have a harmonised response and to co-ordinate this response with other countries and aviation stakeholders.
“Let’s not take two steps backwards but continue to move forward with the valuable lessons learned from the past,” De Oliveira concludes.
