Airline industry plans for restart

MONTREAL/SYDNEY: Airlines and airports are recommending a layered approach to temporary safety measures as air travel restarts, saying no single measure can mitigate all risks during the pandemic, a briefing document seen by Reuters says.

The plan — laid out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International to reassure governments it is safe for the public to fly — includes contact tracing, temperature screening, social distancing, extra cleaning and wearing masks.

‘‘Successfully restarting air passenger travel while restoring confidence in the safety of air travel are vital prerequisites to enabling the global economy to recover from Covid19,’’ the groups said in the document, which has not been made public. ‘‘In normal times, aviation delivers $2.7 trillion in global GDP contribution.’’

IATA and ACI declined to comment specifically on the document but both said they were working with industry partners on a consistent global approach.

Many airlines and airports around the world are implementing measures such as requiring masks and leaving middle seats empty, in some cases due to government requirements.

Should healthscreening be necessary, it should be done long before passengers arrive at the airport, the document said.

Temperature checks on airport entry and exit are not likely to prove 100% effective because they may miss mild cases and those in the incubation period, but the measures could play a useful role in reassuring passengers and might deter travel in the case of suspected infections, according to IATA and ACI.

Social and physical distancing should be limited to the initial restart phase because such measures will cap airport and aircraft capacity once travel demand grows, the document said. — Reuters