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Published Thursday, April 30,
2020
NACC
prepares for returnof international flights By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Directors of Aviation in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, known as NACC, gathered via video conference to discuss the current situation of the covid-19 and how they will get back to business. Airline sectors should be preparing for the reactivation of flights after the pandemic, said the Director-General of Civil Aviation of Costa Rica. According to the authorities, in this meeting, they analyzed precautionary measures such as the reduction in the number of flights and passengers on each flight for the rest of 2020. There was also talk of different post-pandemic scenarios that could take shape such as restrictions on airport operations. NACC is looking to be prepared for all. They went as far as to develop a series of proposals for plans to reactivate the aeronautical sector, authorities in Costa Rica said. The meeting was attended by more than 88 delegates of air operators from Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, the United States, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, as well as other international organizations such as International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO. Because they are still in the initial stages of negotiations, the authorities of each country have not yet reached agreements on when international flights will be activated after the pandemic ends. However, an agreement is expected soon about the measures for the reactivation of the aeronautical sector. In response to the serious impacts being felt across the international civil aviation sector as a result of covid-19, and the need for wide-ranging government and industry coordination to help reconnect the world, representatives from the 36 countries on the Governing Council of the U.N. ICAO announced on Wednesday, a new covid-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force. “The aim of the new Council Task Force will be to identify and recommend strategic priorities and policies for States and industry operators,” said ICAO in its statement. It will leverage all available government and industry data toward solutions to the immediate challenges being felt sector-wide, and the priorities to be addressed to reboot the network for a post-covid world, and make it more resilient and responsive in the process. “As we know, air connectivity is critical to economic and sustainable development in every region of the world. Consequently, an effective recovery of international air transport is essential to support the post covid-19 pandemic worldwide economic recovery,” said Salvatore Sciacchitano, ICAO Council President. “We are not talking of a recovery after an international air transport crisis. International air transport has faced several crises in the past from which it was able to regain its position thanks to timely initiatives by ICAO. The progress achieved over the course of decades could be entirely erased if international air transport does not resume soon and effectively, ” Sciacchitano said. The Aviation Recovery Task Force is composed of Council Members and high-level aviation industry representatives including the Directors General of all major air transport industry associations. UN entities such as the World Health Organization and the World Tourism Organization are also represented, as well as the heads of several national and regional aviation administrations. The Council expects the first outcome by the Task Force by the end of May 2020. ------------------------ Should governments authorize international flights to return again? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
