The Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) has stated that although positive trends are currently to be witnessed within the travel and air traffic business, a steady recovery still remains a “distant goal”. BARIG blames “inconsistent regulations in different countries” relating to COVID vaccinations and testing requirements. “The consequent lack of transparency leads to considerably more complex service processes, which might require more time and higher costs for companies and travellers. Accordingly, the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) points this out and appeals to the responsible politicians to support the urgently needed harmonization of travel conditions.”
In this respect, BARIG Secretary General Michael Hoppe states: “Freedom of travel and mobility does not only belong to the most basic rights of people, but also plays an eminently important role in the recovery of national economies. Therefore, it is right to reopen borders successively given the previous good and successful efforts in fighting the pandemic. However, the lack of coordination among the different countries and states is slowing down the upswing in travel, with corresponding consequences for people and the economy. Thus, we call on politicians to push forward harmonization and coordination matters, which is in the interest of every country and their citizens.”
BARIG strongly advocates: coordinated entry and exit rules; harmonized recognition of vaccination, recovery, and testing certificates; uniform declaration of risk areas; and coordinated, uniform rules for travel between the EU and other potentially opening third countries such as China, India, and others.