In view of the gradual resumption of international passenger flights, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) should make public on June 1st its health protocol for the air transport sector in order to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

To be able to resume the air flights of passengers suspended since the closure of the borders at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the air transport sector calls for a harmonization of the rules in order to reassure passengers and the States explained Alexandre de Juniac, DG of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on France Info radio.

According to de Juniac, this health protocol provides for several levels of control. "We will ask upon arrival at the airport for a declaration of health and symptoms. Then there will be a temperature control at the entrance to the terminal [...] wearing a mask will be compulsory, at the airport and while boarding the plane [...] which will be disinfected [...]' adding that the protocol also requires that food served on board be prepackaged and that temperature controls be put in place upon arrival.

However, he stresses that the protocol does not require leaving the middle seat empty to ensure a distance between the passengers, the air filtration system on board the aircraft and the wearing of a mask already making it possible to limit the risk of propagation considering that these are "rules which can be applied quickly, safely and without imposing a too great complication on passengers while ensuring their safety."

PI/ HaitiLibre