Follow US reopening with global agreement for unvaccinated travellers, says Iata

Iata director general Willie Walsh said the decision to allow vaccinated and tested travellers into the US from early November was “a major step forward”.

“This is excellent news for families and loved ones who have suffered through the heartache and loneliness of separation. It’s good for the millions of livelihoods in the US that depend on global tourism. And it will boost the economic recovery by enabling some key business travel markets,” said Walsh.

Walsh said the relaxation of rules marked “a key shift” in managing Covid risks from blanket considerations nationally to “assessment of individual risk”.

“The next challenge is finding a system to manage the risks for travellers who do not have access to vaccinations.

"Data points to testing as a solution. But it is also critical that governments accelerate the global rollout of vaccines and agree a global framework for travel where testing resources are focused on unvaccinated travellers. We must get back to a situation where the freedom to travel is available to all.”