Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that free movement within Europe is being compromised by the failure of EU member states to harmonize COVID-19 entry regulations. As a result, the reopening of borders is confusing travelers and businesses and not delivering the expected benefits in terms of easier travel and economic recovery.
IATA research has found significant differences in how EU member states are managing travel:
- Around 30% of states using the EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) are not accepting rapid testing
- 19% of states are not exempting children from testing requirements
- 41% of states are not allowing vaccinated travelers from non-EU ‘White-List’ countries to enter
- For the Passenger Locator Forms, 45% accept it online, while 33% accept paper and online submissions. But 11% only accept paper, and a further 11% have no locator forms at all.
“It’s essential that European states come together on COVID-19 travel procedures. The good…