Middle Eastern governments unify fitness measures, adopt loose coronavirus tests and eliminate quarantine to facilitate resumption of travel, the International Air Transport Association suggested Wednesday.
Inconsistent implementation of biosecurity measures and unnecessary border restrictions deter passengers and prevent them from resumption of air in the Middle East, IATA said in a statement.
Travellers “face a variety of other biosecurity measures and procedures, causing confusion among passengers and delaying recovery,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s regional vice president for Africa and the Middle East.
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IATA said coronavirus tests should be accurate and fast, adding that there is no rate for mandatory testing, while voluntary testing is cost-effective.
Several countries in the Middle East have implemented tests, but in many cases the tests meet the criteria set by IATA.
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In some cases, initial and final testing is required, he said.
Tests that are expensive and also meet IATA’s criteria “will likely restrict the resumption of air travel,” Albakri said.
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A traveller in a protective mask rolls his bags at Riyadh International Airport after Saudi Arabia reopened its domestic flights following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 31 May 2020 (Reuters)