COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions cost the global economy $3.5 trillion of GDP associated with travel and tourism. In Africa and the Middle East (AME), $142 billion in GDP and 6.2 million jobs were impacted. Airlines, struggling for survival, experienced unprecedented losses.
Two years have passed since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis and this state of affairs can no longer be sustained. Countries cannot afford to isolate themselves; the economic and social cost of closed borders is too high. And there is no reason why they should.
Today, we have a wealth of data and evidence on safely managing the crisis to inform better policy decisions. We have effective health and safety measures in place, which were developed through collaborative efforts with the industry’s stakeholders, ICAO, WHO, airports, airlines, ground handlers and others. Governments are recognizing this.
Throughout 2022, countries globally have made the sensible decision to either relax travel restrictions or remove them altogether. Countries in Africa and the Middle East are amongst those recognizing the importance of restoring air connectivity and taking decisions based on scientific data. These countries include:
- Bahrain: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Jordan: All pre-departure/arrival testing and quarantine requirements for all travelers have been removed
- KSA: All pre-departure/arrival testing and quarantine requirements for all travelers have been removed
- Kuwait: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Oman: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Egypt: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Iraq: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers has been removed
- Lebanon: Pre-departure testing requirement has been removed for vaccinated travelers; arrival testing has been removed for all travelers
- UAE: Dubai accepts either proof of vaccination, negative PCR result or proof of recovery for all travelers; Abu Dhabi has removed pre-departure and arrival PCR for vaccinated travelers and travelers with recovery certificates, and removed arrival PCR for unvaccinated travelers
- Yemen: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Benin: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Botswana: Testing requirement for vaccinated (with booster) travelers has been removed
- Cabo Verde: Accepts either PCR or antigen test, vaccination certificate or certificate of recovery for all travelers
- Comoros: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers has been removed
- Congo: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Côte d’Ivoire: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers has been removed
- Gabon: All COVID-19 regulations have been lifted
- Guinea: Testing requirements for vaccinated travelers and testing on arrival has been removed
- Guinea Bissau: Accepts either PCR test or recovery certificate for all travelers
- Malawi: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers has been removed
- Mali:Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers and quarantine for crew have been removed
- Mauritius: All COVID-19 entry requirements have been removed
- Nigeria: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers and self isolation measures have been removed
- Namibia: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers has been removed (for nationals and residents)
- Rwanda: Testing requirement on arrival has been removed. Accepts PCR or antigen tests for pre-departure.
- Senegal: Accepts either a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test result for entry
- South Africa: All COVID-19 entry requirements have been removed
- Sudan: All COVID-19 entry requirements have been removed
- Tanzania: Accepts vaccination certificate, PCR test or recovery certificate
- Togo: Testing requirement for vaccinated travelers has been removed
This is important progress, and we commend these countries’ governments for using data to drive policy and helping accelerate the recovery of air travel. But we need to maintain this momentum, and for more countries to follow and use the same science driven risk-based approach to managing COVID-19, in line with WHO recommendations.
We call on governments to:
- Remove all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine
- Enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travelers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result
- Remove travel bans
- Accelerate the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travelers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population.
