Airport Alert: ICAO Released a Civil Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Report Guiding Air Travel Through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis
June 1, 2020
This afternoon, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) released its Civil Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) report, Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel Through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, which recommends a phased approach to enable the safe return to high-volume domestic and international air travel for both passengers and cargo. The report is intended to strengthen confidence among the traveling public by identifying mitigation measures needed to reduce the public health risk to air passengers and aviation workers. These mitigation measures are designed to enable a consistent, safe, and predictable travel experience; are based on medical evidence; are harmonized to the maximum extent possible and consistent with international best practices, standards, and requirements; and will enable the growth of global aviation as it recovers from the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The Take-off Guidance recommends risk mitigation measures that apply to the entire passenger journey, from arriving at the terminal, to leaving the baggage claim area, and also address aviation workers in the cabin, on the flight deck and on the ground. The document recommends clear and consistent information to passengers and crew, the use of face coverings and masks, physical distancing and sanitation procedures among other measures. Together, these measures form the basis upon which a restart and recovery plan can be built.
Public Health Risk Mitigation Measures:
Generally applicable risk mitigation measures identified in the Take-off Guidance include:
- Public Education: Stakeholders must work together to distribute accurate information quickly. Information must be as clear, simple and consistent as possible across the entire passenger travel experience.
- Physical Distancing: To the extent feasible, people should be able to maintain social distancing consistent with World Health Organization (1-2 meters) or applicable health guidelines. Where this distancing is not feasible (for example in aircraft cabins), adequate risk-based measures should be used.
- Face Covering and Masks: Face coverings should be worn, consistent with applicable public health guidelines.
- Routine Sanitation: All areas with potential for human contact and transmission should be cleaned and disinfected as prescribed by public health authorities with frequency based on operational risk assessment.
- Health Screening: Health screening should be conducted in accordance with the protocols of the relevant health authorities. Screening could include pre-flight and post-flight self declarations, temperature measurement and visual observation conducted by health professionals. Such a screening could identify potentially high-risk persons that may require additional examination prior to working or flying. The availability of such information and insights can be leveraged to adopt a risk based approach which will further contribute to reassure the travelling public. This screening may be conducted upon entry and/or exit. If a person shows signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or indicates exposure to COVID-19 appropriate follow up would be necessary, including a focused health assessment performed by healthcare personnel either in a dedicated interview space at an airport, or in an offsite pre-identified health care facility.
- Contact Tracing: Methods for the collection of passenger and employee contact information should be explored, including web applications, to support public health authorities in contact tracing. Updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration and interaction between passengers and governments should be made directly though government portals. This should be in line with applicable data privacy protection rules.
- Health Declarations: Where feasible and justified, health declaration forms for COVID-19 should be used for all passengers, in line with the recommendations of relevant health authorities. Self-declarations prior to airport arrival should also be encouraged. Electronic tools should be encouraged to avoid paper forms.
- Testing: At the time of publication, rapid tests cannot be a precondition for travel due to their unreliability or impracticability. It is therefore recommended that countries refrain from requiring rapid tests for the time being. It should be noted that the rapid testing of all passengers prior to departure would not be operationally viable unless more real-time, rapid and reliable testing becomes available.
The report also includes suggested health forms, airport and aircraft disinfection and cleaning control sheets, and COVID-19 related posters for use in staff areas.
The report outlines the various stages for the restart of operations.
- At this time, most commercial passenger aviation is restricted with only minimal movements between major domestic and international airports (stage 0).
- Stage 1 coincides with an initial increase of passenger travel at low volumes that will permit airlines and airports to introduce aviation public health practices as appropriate to mitigate risk. ICAO recommends that these health measures match those of other local modes of transport.
- Stage 2 occurs as passenger volumes continue to increase. ICAO notes that some health measures for travel required at airports could be lifted during this stage.
- Stage 3 is reached when the virus outbreak is sufficient contained at major destinations, as determined by health authorities. At that time, travel restrictions could be loosened, reduced, modified or stopped.
- The final stage (4) is reached when specific and effective pharmaceutical interventions are readily available in most countries.
Links to the ICAO documents can be found here:
- Take off: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis
- Final Report
- Cover Letter
