ECAC President contributes to EU Aviation Day
Lisbon and virtually, 3 May - ECAC President Ingrid Cherfils emphasised the importance of strong international cooperation for the success of recovery measures in the short and long term, at the Aviation Day conference organised under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Speaking in the first panel of the event, dedicated to the recovery of the aviation sector during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Cherfils underlined that to respond to the increasingly complex needs of the air transport industry in Europe and to restart aviation after the COVID-19 pandemic, ECAC Member States must combine their efforts and use their collective expertise through strong pan-European cooperation and coordination, in order to deliver a common message.
During the closing ceremony of the meeting, Ms Cherfils introduced the Lisbon Declaration agreed by the Directors General of Civil Aviation of ECAC Member States on the recovery of European aviation.
The summer period and the progress of vaccination campaigns provide an opportunity for the travel and tourism sectors to restart, bringing economic and social benefits to all European countries and their citizens. ECAC Member States agreed to support the sustainable development of the aviation sector - heavily impacted by the coronavirus crisis - while protecting public health.
They also agreed that, while vaccination should not be a precondition for travel, the application of measures affecting travel should include consideration to determine how vaccination, in conjunction with other measures, could be reflected in the progressive easing of travel restrictions, including notably quarantine and the suspension of traffic rights as a major impediment to travel.
To fulfil the objectives of the Lisbon Declaration, a coordinated approach across Europe is essential, and one of ECAC’s main roles is to provide a platform to support and strengthen inter-governmental cooperation in air transport matters in Europe.
Read here the full speech of the ECAC President, Ingrid Cherfils.