To avoid quarantine measures and to encourage people to travel, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is calling for systematic testing of all passengers for Covid-19.
Airports around the world are taking steps to ensure safe travel for consumers, and are commited to offering fast coronavirus detection tests to travelers.
Airports in London, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangalore, among others, offer antigenic testing. Frankfurt Airport, for example, administers 20,000 tests per day under the direction of the airline Lufthansa.
Unlike virological (PCR) and serological tests, antigenic tests are able to give results within minutes. They are currently being field-tested in various countries. For IATA these tests might be an alternative to the quarantine measures implemented in many countries. The association further points out that international air transport has fallen by 92% compared to 2019 and is expected to suffer a loss of $419 billion in 2020.
IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said :
The key to restoring the freedom to move from one country to another is the systematic screening of all travelers prior to departure. This will give governments the confidence to open their frontiers.
Testing all passengers will give people back their freedom to travel with confidence. And it will allow millions of people to return to work.
