Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Airline coalition working with WHO to 'get rid of quarantines,' replace it with testing

Airline coalition working with WHO to 'get rid of quarantines,' replace it with testing

The airline industry is hoping that testing will help revive its businesses.
Specific states, countries or vacation destinations are still requiring travelers to quarantine before leaving or after arriving — and believing this may be discouraging some people from flying, the International Air Transport Association is hoping to create a better system.

The IATA, which represents about 290 airlines across the globe, confirmed to Fox Business that it is working with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to work out a system of testing that can replace mandatory quarantines.

The goal is for these tests to be scalable, affordable, and provide results in a quick and accurate manner.

The IATA also confirmed recent comments made by Conrad Clifford, the regional vice president for Asia Pacific, where he compared having 14-day quarantines to essentially closing a country's borders. According to Clifford, proper testing protocols can reduce the need for these quarantines.

"In terms of how the testing would work, that is what needs to be worked out, which is why we are working with ICAO and WHO," a spokesperson for the IATA wrote. "We believe pre-departure testing can be an effective alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity. Testing needs to be rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic, under the authority of governments following agreed international standards."

Testing would preferentially happen before departure, and each would cost less than $10, the IATA is hoping.

IATA's spokesperson also stated that, according to its own research, the majority of travelers support COVID-19 testing. "Some 65% of travelers surveyed agreed that quarantine should not be required if a person tests negative for COVID-19," the IATA claims, citing an internal study of 4,700 "recent airline travelers."

The IATA's survey also found that the vast majority of respondents agreed that they were willing to undergo testing, and that it should be required.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×