Doha – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for governments to apply the lessons learned from the dismantling of global connectivity in response to COVID-19 to ensure that future global health threats can be effectively managed without closing borders.
The World Health Organization (WHO) long advised that border closures are not an effective means of managing a global pandemic. Evidence observed during the pandemic proved the point. Most governments ignored this advice, acted in isolation from the industry and other governments, and put in place measures to restrict travel. This collapsed global air connectivity with massive negative economic and human consequences.
Moreover, the restart of global connectivity has been made more challenging because governments continue to favor local solutions over global standards. Constant policy changes by governments left most of the industry little time to prepare for the ramp-up. And international travelers can only see…