The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has called on aviation regulators around the world to work with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to ensure the seamless and safe operation of civil aviation around the world during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Such cooperation will also assist the restart of commercial aviation when the disease is contained.

Covid-19 has prevented many regulators from exercising their normal oversight of the licences and certificates essential for aviation safety. In consequence, many regulators have adopted flexible measures, allowing extensions to the validity periods for these licences, certificates and type ratings, so permitting airlines to continue to operate.

But such measures need to be registered with ICAO, so that other countries can be informed about them and can therefore recognise them. If this mutual recognition does not take place, then airlines can not be certain if they will or will not be restricted by the countries their aircraft enter.

“Safety is always the top priority,” stresses Iata senior VP: safety and flight operations Gilberto Lopez Meyer. “We therefore commend ICAO for their swift action to facilitate the sharing of States’ temporary regulatory extensions, making it easier for States to extend their mutual recognition.”

Iata highlights that ICAO has established a ‘Covid-19 Contingency Related Differences’ system. This allows all countries to report any alterations to their standard policies. It also allows them to clearly accept alterations adopted by other countries, by means of a new form.

Iata urges all countries to file their temporary policy changes with ICAO and to recognise such changes made by other countries and filed with ICAO. Iata represents about 290 airlines around the world, who are responsible for 82% of air traffic worldwide.