The International Air Transport Association, IATA and airline unions have urged governments to exempt airline crews from constant Covid-19 testing due to the excessive costs.
According to the reports, crew testing costs would be about $1 million a year for each single daily flight route, IATA confirmed.
IATA's Senior Vice President, Safety and Flight Operations,Gilberto Lopez Meyer, said: "airlines are willing to invest in safety that delivers meaningful outcomes, but that is not the case with unilateral, uncoordinated testing requirements."
Lopez Meyer added that some government rules on testing breach the recommended ICAO global guidelines.
The guidelines say crew should not be subject to the same screening or restrictions applied to other travelers and it should be as 'non-invasive as possible.
Alongside the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, IATA is calling for priority vaccinations for airline pilots and cabin crew.
Early inoculation of the crew would keep flight services operational and put them in a strong position for recovery.
According to Captain Jack Netskar, IFALPA President, daily Covid testing puts unecessary stress and pressure on crew members in addition to the prohibitive costs to airlines.
Credit: Ray Montgomery, US.
The guidelines say crew should not be subject to the same screening or restrictions applied to other travelers and it should be as 'non-invasive as possible.
Alongside the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, IATA is calling for priority vaccinations for airline pilots and cabin crew.
Early inoculation of the crew would keep flight services operational and put them in a strong position for recovery.
According to Captain Jack Netskar, IFALPA President, daily Covid testing puts unecessary stress and pressure on crew members in addition to the prohibitive costs to airlines.
Credit: Ray Montgomery, US.
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