The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has welcomed Ireland’s Aviation Restart Plan 2021 as put forward by the National Civil Aviation Development Forum (NCADF), and are calling on Government to support and engage with the Plan, in particular with the EU Digital Green Pass.
Delegates from the ITAA have met previously with Government officials from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to discuss the urgent need for a restart plan to be put in place in order to recover some of the damage caused to the Irish travel sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ITAA continues to be deeply committed to the health and safety of its customers and staff, and believes that by working with Government to develop these plans now will facilitate a safe return to international travel later this year. Prioritising the development of a clear roadmap would mean that aviation could potentially be back up and running by late summer.
ITAA CEO Pat Dawson said, “Aviation is not something that can be turned on at the flick of a switch; the Aviation Restart Plan for 2021 developed by the NCADF gives a clear roadmap to a safe restarting of International Travel. We can see how aircraft have already been moved to Northern Ireland and the UK from the Republic of Ireland, so we accept the urgency and need to protect Ireland’s international connectivity. The report recognises the commitments to EU best practice and current public health guidelines in the context of health and safety of customers.”
He continued, “The prospect of EU Digital Green Passes, antigen testing, a restarting the traffic light system between EU countries, must be all be considered and planned for as soon as possible, in order to facilitate a safe and smooth return to travel when the immediate threat of COVID-19 has subsided. We want to work with Government and the key stakeholders to implement these plans as soon as possible; they will take time to roll out and we need to be well prepared in order to safely resume international travel.”
(Photo by Pascal Meier on Unsplash)
