The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council has endorsed new updates to its Aviation Recovery Task Force’s (CART’s) ‘Take-off’ Guidelines for international air transport.
The new guidelines provide recommendations for countries to consider adopting per their current local medical status, and on specific priorities including general hygiene, masks and face coverings, health screening and declarations, air passengers with reduced mobility, and mental health and well-being of aviation workers and passengers.
They also reacknowledge the sovereignty and authority of each country over its national pandemic recovery priorities, including with respect to the evaluation and use of passenger testing to help alleviate quarantine measures and reconnect destinations globally.
ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano who underscored the new updates said “Countries are urged to follow this updated guidance to align their measures while upholding each State’s prerogative to implement additional and/or alternative mitigation measures in accordance with their specific needs and circumstances.
“The speed of the evolving global situation requires timely and targeted guidance to effectively support States in their efforts to contain the pandemic while pursuing the restart and recovery of aviation,” he emphasized. “This makes clear the critical importance of global and regional coordination on setting out mutually accepted measures.”
The Chair of the Recovery Task Force, Estanislao Esono Anguesomo of Equatorial Guinea, noted that the latest task force updates focus “primarily on the evolving technological and medical advancements in the fight against COVID-19. They incorporate the continuous feedback ICAO is receiving from national authorities, international organizations including the World Health and Tourism Organizations (WHO/UNWTO), as well as regional organizations and industry.”
The high-level cover document for the new guidelines emphasizes that a combination of measures, coordinated between governments and industry, will be essential to the re-establishment of public confidence in air travel. It points out this is the only sustainable solution to overcome the economic and financial situation that the sector currently faces.
ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu welcomed this viewpoint and hoped that the latest global guidance outcomes from the countries, UN agencies, industry groups and regional organizations which are contributing to the CART would help get passengers flying again.
“The ICAO Secretariat is providing critical global monitoring, guidance, and coordination resources to help countries implement the CART recommendations,” she commented, “and we’ve been encouraged by recent progress on the establishment of new international travel and health corridors between specific destinations. These are realizing some important and prudent first steps toward increased traveller confidence and sectoral recovery.”
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