The aviation industry wants governments to move from a zero risk approach to managing the risk of COVID-19 to enable travel to reopen.
In one of his first interviews as IATA’s director general, Willie Walsh, says airline CEOs are in the business of managing risk and that the industry needs to see the “same level of risk management approach being adopted by governments.”
The former CEO of BA-parent International Airlines Group adds that a global pandemic would have been on every airline risk register and something the industry was ready to respond it but that a zero risk approach is not practical.
“We have to make sure sensible measures are in place. Nobody wants people to be reckless, so we need sensible measures in place where proper risk assessment is done and then actions taken to mitigate the known and unknown risks so people can carry on as they have been used to in the past. There is a case for caution but to attempt to completely eliminate that risk, we just do not believe is possible.”
Walsh, who was speaking at the World Aviation Festival online event this week, also talked about the need to improve testing to ensure processes are cost effective for airlines and passengers.
In a separate session, Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said it could cost a family up to £600 for testing and that the cost needs to come down.
The carrier’s research shows passengers feel £30 is a more reasonable amount.
Testing situation
EasyJet’s research also questions whether restrictions and tests are needed for travel to countries in the green tier.
Walsh describes the current situation as “unacceptable on a number of fronts.”
“We’re clearly seeing evidence of profiteering by people who have jumped on the testing bandwagon. Governments are mandating testing and need to do this to protect health systems and then charging VAT on top. We have got to challenge this. Once you start to challenge this you start seeing evidence of the…