Accepting vaccinated passengers should be global best practice - airline body

IATA vocal on why accepting vaccinated passengers should be global best practice to reopen borders.Photo by Johannes Rapprich from Pexels.

IATA vocal on why accepting vaccinated passengers should be global best practice to reopen borders.Photo by Johannes Rapprich from Pexels.

Published May 20, 2021

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Vaccinated travellers visiting Germany won't have to face quarantine measures or quarantine requirements for those with a negative Covid-19 test. However, the rule will not apply to travellers from certain high-risk countries.

The German government followed a review of scientific advice from the world-renowned Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

RKI concluded that vaccinated travellers were no longer significant in the spread of the disease and did not pose a major risk to the German population.

It stated that vaccination reduced the risk of Covid-19 transmission to levels below the risk.

Latest data collected by the International Air Transport Association (Iata), including its Timatic service, revealed that more than 20 countries have "wholly or partially lifted restrictions" for vaccinated travellers.

The move is a sign that more destinations like Germany accepted vaccinated travellers, which in turn helped reopen borders across the globe.

Iata is adamant that destinations that were not enforcing this rule should ensure quarantine-free travel through Covid-19 testing strategies based on widely available, free-of-charge tests.

Willie Walsh, Iata’s director general, said a safe opening of borders to international travel is the goal.

"Scientific evidence and data should be the basis for the decision-making needed to achieve that. There is increasing scientific evidence that vaccination is not only protecting people but also dramatically reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. This is bringing us closer to a world where vaccination and testing enables the freedom to travel without quarantine. Germany and at least 20 other countries have already taken an important step forward in re-opening their borders to vaccinated travellers. These are the best practice examples for others to quickly follow," he said.

Iata polling indicates that 81% of international travellers were willing to get vaccinated to travel, and 74% of people in the same poll agreed that those vaccinated should be able to travel by air without restrictions.

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