The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) opted for social distancing over quarantine when setting out joint measures for airlines to resume regular flight schedules following the severe disruption caused by COVID 19.
While the British government has said it will introduce quarantine measures for travellers entering the country, EU guidelines are focussed on social distancing and include measures such as wearing face masks and handwashing .
EASA and ECDC were charged by the European Commission with drawing up the guidelines, as part of a wider package of measures to prompt the safe restoration of transport services and connectivity following the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The safety of passengers and crews has always been paramount in aviation,” European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said. “Passengers have to have confidence that taking to the skies again in a confined space with other people poses the minimum possible risk to their health. We relied on our specialists from EASA and ECDC to define a set of concrete measures for the safe resumption of air travel within the EU. The protocol released today will reassure passengers that it is safe for them to fly and so help the industry recover from the effects of this pandemic.”
LCC Ryanair has been a vocal critic of the UK’s quarantine proposal and its chief executive Michael O’Leary was positive over the EU agency’s decision to focus on social distancing.
“Fourteen day quarantines are ineffective and unimplementable. Requiring international arrivals to quarantine only after they have used multiple public transport providers to get from the airport to their ultimate destination has no basis in science or medicine. We strongly urge Europe’s Governments, especially those in Ireland and the UK, to mandate to the wearing of face masks for airline, train and (London) underground passengers, as this is the best and most effective way to limit the spread of Covid-19 in public transport environments where social distancing is not possible.”
The Ryanair chief executive called for the Irish and UK Government to abandon what he termed their “unexplainable, ineffective, and unimplementable quarantine restrictions”.
The measures were also welcomed by IATA which said the guidelines are aligned with recommendations provided by both the airline and airport sector for a layered approach of temporary measures to protect public health while allowing viable air services to help drive the European economic recovery.
“But the guidelines will only be effective if all European states deliver harmonized implementation and mutually recognize each other’s efforts. Failure to do so would harm public confidence in the aviation system, with negative consequences for the economy, and jobs,” IATA said
Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s regional vice president for Europe said that EASA and ECDC has delivered a sensible framework for restarting aviation while protecting public health but warned it was important the guidelines were imposed evenly across the trading bloc.
“It is absolutely essential that all European states apply these guidelines in a harmonized and mutually recognized way. Local deviations and exceptions will damage public confidence and make it harder to operate effectively. This would be harmful to public health and the economic recovery. IATA will support states to implement these guidelines in the fastest and most efficient way,” he said.