Covid situation in India improved, IATA urges countries to lift travel restrictions

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has encouraged countries to lift the restrictions imposed on travelers from India. It said the situation in India has improved from the devastating second wave of Covid-19.

After analyzing the current pandemic situation in the country Willie Walsh, the IATA chief said “Between February 25, 2021, and June 30, the overall positivity rate (in RT PCR tests conducted on arrival) for international arrivals in the UK was 1%. The positivity rate in this period for those flying in from India was 4.4%,”

“Data shows how things have changed now and why travel restrictions on travelers from India should be reconsidered. Between June 10 and 30, the positivity rate for travelers from India to the UK has dipped to 1.2%. The aviation industry is averse at risk management and that can be done effectively (if government take decisions based on) data,” Walsh said.

According to Times of India, in the June 10-30 period, the overall positivity rate for international travelers to the UK was 0.64%. For arrivals from green (low risk) list countries, the positivity rate was 0.29%. For amber (medium risk) countries, it was 0.62% and for red list (high risk including India) countries, it was 1.06%.

“UK data clearly shows the positivity rate for travelers from India is much lower now. Things are changing. While overall vaccination rate in India is low, it is critical to keep changing (travel rules for travelers from India) depending on the data,” he said.

“Between 2014 and 2019, India saw the highest growth domestic air travel globally. This growth also provided the feed for international travel to and from here. The capacity curbs and flight caps are slowing recovery. Far caps distort competition as different airlines have different cost structures,” Walsh said.

IATA DG Willie Walsh also said India is now an “outlier in terms of recovery of domestic air travel that has not only gone back to pre-Covid times but also surpassed those levels” in some countries like the US and China.