The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICA) Council has adopted a new report and guidelines aimed at restarting the international air transport system and aligning its global recovery.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) report and guidelines were produced by the Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) and developed through broad-based consultations with countries and regional organizations, and with advice from the World Health Organization and key aviation industry groups including the International Air Transport Association, Airports Council International, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, and International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations.
“These guidelines will facilitate convergence, mutual recognition and harmonization of aviation COVID-19 related measures across the globe,” CART chairperson Ambassador Philippe Bertoux, the representative of France to the ICAO Council, said.
He added that the guidelines are “intended to support the restart and recovery of global air travel in a safe, secure and sustainable way.”
“In order to be effective, we need to take a layered and especially a risk-based approach. Measures will be implemented or removed as needed based on the wide ranging medical and other factors which will be at play,” Bertoux said.
“Countries and operators need both autonomy and certainty as they take action to get the world flying again,” he continued, “and the CART guidelines are therefore designed to serve in both these capacities as a common reference, while remaining adaptable. This needs to be understood as a type of ‘living guidance’ which will be continuously updated based on latest risk assessments as we monitor progress and reconnect the world.”
CART’s report contains a detailed situational analysis and key principles supported by a series of recommendations focused around objectives for public health, aviation safety and security, and aviation economic recovery.
This content is supplemented by the report’s special “Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis” document which contains guidelines for public health risk mitigation measures and four separate modules relating to airports, aircraft, crew, and air cargo.
CART report’s recommendations are the following:
- During the global COVID-19 outbreak, member states should continue updating COVID-19 Contingency Related Differences (CCRDs) in the Electronic Filing of Differences (EFOD) subsystem.
- Member states should avoid retaining any COVID-19 related alleviation measures as soon as normal operations are resumed. Differences that remain after the contingency if any should be filed in the EFOD system.
- Member states should expedite the development of guidance for safety management of new operations or operation change during this crisis.
- Global and regional harmonization of procedures is essential to strengthen public and passenger confidence in air travel. To that end, member states should establish aviation public health procedures aligned with the guidance in the take-off guidance.
- In order to support the fastest possible return to normal aviation operations, member states should regularly review the necessity of continuing the application of risk mitigation measures as the risk of COVID-19 transmission diminishes; and measures which are no longer needed should be discontinued.
- Members states that have not done so should immediately establish a National Air Transport Facilitation Committee (or equivalent) to increase national level cross-sectoral coordination.
- Member states should systematically use a Passenger Health Locator Form to ensure identification and traceability of passengers to help limit the spread of the disease and resurgence of the pandemic.
- While temporarily adapting their security-related measures, using the guidance provided, member states should strengthen their oversight system to ensure these measures are consistently applied with the objective of protecting aviation against acts of unlawful interference.
- Member states should take measures to ensure that relevant personnel are provided training to identify and manage unruly passenger situations related to non-respect of essential aviation public health and safety measures.
- Member states should consider appropriate extraordinary emergency measures to support financial viability and to maintain an adequate level of safe, secure and efficient operations, which should be inclusive, targeted, proportionate, transparent, temporary and consistent with ICAO’s policies, while striking an appropriate balance among the respective interests without prejudice to fair competition and compromising safety, security and environmental performance.
- Member states should facilitate information-sharing and exchange on their actions and best practices by contributing to an ICAO database of measures.
The full CART Report is available as part of ICAO’s COVID-19 platform, and will be regularly reviewed and updated based on the latest data and information received from all stakeholders.
