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The global aviation industry is considering introducing a “Covid passport” that includes test and vaccine data. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the world’s largest airline organization, said it is developing a mobile app that will allow travelers to prove they are not infected with the new coronavirus, which will include vaccination data. .
A pilot program will begin this year and the application will launch on the Apple Store in the first quarter of next year and starting April 2021 for Android.
The aviation industry is among the hardest hit by the crisis caused by the pandemic. The first vaccines are expected to be validated in the US and the EU by the end of the year or early next year. The advent of vaccines is seen by airlines as a way to boost business.
Could the Covid passport be a viable solution for the aviation industry? Cezar Osiceanu, an airline pilot with 40 years of flying experience, talked about these aspects to Digi24.
“The idea comes from the need to quickly check the passenger. It’s just that we have others too three problems. Who makes this system? Who coordinates it? How will it be valid for entering the respective data, because we also have the GDPR.
The idea is good. The pandemic has forced digitization and we come up with this systemic challenge, this passport. The idea is good, but we run into these problems.
I don’t know if it would do you any good to know you’ve been vaccinated or sick.
We can’t force people to get vaccinatedthe pilot said.
According to him, it must be taken into account that according to IATA there were only 44 cases of positive people out of 1.2 billion passengers. Means that one in 27 million passengers was infected on the plane.
However, although the risk is very low, the aviation industry is on the ground, with only 10% of flights still operational, so solutions are sought, one being the Covid passport.
“We can say as a company that we do not allow flights unless you have been vaccinated. The passenger can say: I got vaccinated, but with a Russian vaccine. England can say it is not receiving the Russian vaccine “, exemplified the pilot another problem that could arise.
Airline losses in 2020 and 2021, estimated at $ 157 billion
Airlines are expected to post cumulative losses of $ 157 billion in 2020 and 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned, which has once again worsened its estimates of developments in response to the second wave of coronavirus infections and isolations affecting large markets, according to Reuters.
While IATA predicted in June that this coronavirus crisis will cause airlines a net loss of $ 84.3 billion in 2020, followed by a loss of $ 15.8 billion in 2021, the Association on Tuesday worsened its estimates to A deficit of $ 118.5 billion this year alone, followed by further losses of $ 38.7 billion in 2021.
These pessimistic forecasts highlight the challenges the aviation industry faces despite the good news regarding the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
“The positive impact they will have on the economy and air traffic will not happen at a huge level until mid-2021,” IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac told the organization’s General Assembly.
IATA Director: 2020 will go down in history as the worst year for the industry
Furthermore, according to the latest IATA estimates, the number of passengers carried by airlines will drop to 1.8 billion this year, from 4.5 billion in 2019, and partially recover next year to 2.8 billion. Airline revenue will decline by more than 60% in 2020 compared to 2019 to $ 328 billion.
“The history books will mention 2020 as the worst financial year for the aviation industry. On average, airlines have cut their costs by a billion dollars every day and yet have accumulated unprecedented losses,” he said. Alexandre of Juniac.
Countries where passenger testing initiatives have been launched
In this context, IATA reiterated its call to governments to replace quarantine measures with generalized testing programs.
“We are seeing states gradually starting to listen to us,” de Juniac said, referring to the testing initiatives that have been launched in France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the US and Singapore.
IATA represents approximately 290 airlines worldwide, accounting for 82% of global air traffic.
Publisher: Georgiana Marina
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