Entry into a country like Ghana, passengers are sucjected to undertaking a COVID-19 test at KIA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is working to set up a testing system that will replace compulsory quarantine to help revive the airline industry that’s been decimated by the coronavirus outbreak.
IATA, which represents about 290 airlines globally, is working with the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization to put in place scalable, affordable and fast testing systems, Conrad Clifford, IATA’s regional vice-president for Asia Pacific, said.
“We’re saying we need testing because we need to get rid of quarantines,” Clifford said in an interview on Bloomberg Television Monday. “What we’ve seen so far is if there’s a 14-day quarantine, it’s the same as closing your borders.”
Clifford said IATA would “prefer to see some testing before departure and ideally, if we can find countries with similar levels of Covid risk, much like Singapore and Hong Kong, then that takes away the need for further testing.”
Singapore and Hong Kong agreed last week to open their borders to one another for the first time in almost seven months, exempting people in both cities from compulsory quarantine to help reinstate links between Asia’s two premier financial hubs. Details on the arrangement, which is expected to start within weeks, haven’t yet been publicly laid out.
Clifford said ideally, Covid-19 tests should cost less than $10.
- World's most expensive private jets and who owns them
- FLASHBACK: Watch footage of Ghana Airways receiving new Fokker 2,000 aircraft in 1974
- New Managing Director of GACL introduced to staff
- FLASHBACK: World's largest passenger aircraft lands in Accra for second historic time
- Management of Ghana Airports Company express commitment to achieving vision
- Read all related articles