Omicron: ICAO Urges Countries To Adopt Evidence-Based Approach On Air Transport Restrictions, Issues New Global Bulletin

 

The International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, in line with the latest recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), ICAO issued a new global bulletin today urging a more measured and evidence-based approach to countries’ national air transport restrictions due to the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.   ICAO discouraged pre-emptive style which some countries are embarking on by abruptly restricting air passengers from certain countries “Until more detailed assessments are available, the UN aviation agency is encouraging countries to continue combatting the spread of COVID-19, and specifically the Omicron variant, using the recommendations and guidancecontained in the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force’s (CART) Take-off Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, in addition to the third edition of ICAO’s Manual on COVID-19 Cross-Border Risk Management,”said ICAO.   The new bulletin was issued under the authority of ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, who commented that “It’s critical that we continue to respond to this disease and its variants on the basis of the best available science and evidence.”   “Countries have recently and very clearly reinforced their commitments to proceed on this basis through their Ministerial Declaration outcome from our High-level Conference on COVID-19, in addition to other multilateral statements, and the costs and implications of being excessively cautious and overly restrictive in this context must be carefully measured by all concerned,” he underscored.   Reiterating its stance on current measures by some countries, the global civil aviation regulatory body said: “ICAO and other UN bodies have been consistently reinforcing that no country can defeat COVID-19 in isolation, and that the costs of significantly restricted global air mobility affect all countries, and are especially acute for Landlocked and Small Island Developing States. This is affecting millions of livelihoods globally, and the basic capabilities of many countries to pursue current UN Agenda 2030 and Common Agenda objectives for global sustainability, prosperity, equality, and well-being.”   Countries are encouraged to follow and implement ICAO’s guidance with the coordination and support of the ICAO Regional Offices, and according to their specific national needs and circumstances.   The ICAO bulletin also re-emphasized the importance of “a globally coordinated approach,” and for countries to proceed based on “principles of solidarity and equality in order to mitigate the transmission of the disease and facilitate the recovery of international travel and the global economy.”