Brussels

EBAA urges governments to avoid travel bans

The European Business Aviation Association has called on governments to use an individual risk-based approach versus 'country-to-country' to avoid ineffective travel bans.

In a statement issued on Monday (29th November), the EBAA said:

"The European Business Aviation community supports the European Commission’s proposal to update the rules on coordination of safe and free movement in the EU focusing on a ‘person-based approach' but considers that after 2 years of experience of the covid-19 pandemic, this approach should avoid the repetition of inefficient actions and measures.

The business aviation community is concerned about the recent uncoordinated wave of travel bans following the appearance of the new B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19. Those concerns are also shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its recommendation to countries to keep applying a riskbased and scientific approach when implementing travel measures.

The WHO urges countries around the world not to impose flight bans on nations due to concerns over the new Omicron COVID-19 variant. The organisation added that travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.

The EBAA calls on countries to follow science and international health regulations. A coordinated science-based approach avoiding border closures having disastrous socio-economic consequences for communities in Europe and beyond is the only long-term solution to control COVID variants."