Aviation groups lobby for the termination of Covid restrictions in Europe: Travel Weekly

An overhead view of an airport. The photo was taken at the airport.

The trade groups IATA and Airports Council International Europe are calling for the end of Covid-19 restrictions on travel between EU countries.

The groups said that the requirements for Covid testing, presenting proof of vaccination and completing passenger locator forms should all go away. In addition, masks should not be required for travel within or between countries where masks are no longer required in other indoor environments.

The risk of hospitalization or death has been dramatically reduced, especially for vaccine recipients, due to the pervasiveness of Covid-19 and the omicron variant.

• Related: TSA extends mask mandate for public transportation

The statement was timed to coincide with the two-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring Covid-19 a Pandemic. It coincides with the release of a study that the trade groups said confirms that by the time a Covid-19 variant of concern is identified and travel restrictions are implemented, cross-border transmission will already have happened.

Oxera and Edge Health collaborated with IATA and ACI Europe to conduct research that showed that even if a new variant is discovered and travel restrictions are introduced immediately, it only delays the peak of infections.

• Related: Travel organizations call for an easing of travel restrictions

IATA and ACI Europe said that non-EU members of Europe should eliminate restrictions on travel with EU nations and with one another.

Ten EU and Schengen countries have implemented such policies thus far.

There is a call for aviation groups for the end of Europe.