21 August 2020 (Singapore) - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has welcomed Singapore’s announcement on the easing of border measures for entry into the country.

“COVID-19 has dealt a massive blow to the airline industry and the road to recovery is going to be long and slow. Our latest forecast indicates that travel demand will not return to 2019 levels until 2024, a year later than had been previously expected. Key to the recovery is the opening of borders and the lifting of travel restrictions and measures such as quarantine. Today’s announcement is positive and a step in the right direction. We hope to work closely with the government so that Singapore’s aviation industry can restart safely while mitigating the possibility of COVID-19 transmission. And we urge other states in the region to look at ways to resume international travel safely, including through the implementation of travel bubbles,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Asia-Pacific.

“The impact of COVID-19 is unprecedented and the airline industry is on life support. The additional financial measures announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat earlier this week is a big help and greatly appreciated by the industry. And the recent remarks by Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung is reassuring and a breath of fresh air as the government clearly recognizes aviation’s strategic contribution to the Singapore economy. Having a viable aviation industry will be critical to economic recovery by ensuring effective connectivity with the rest of the world for the movement of people and goods,” said Clifford.

The global airline industry is expected to lose US$84.3 billion in 2020. Asia-Pacific airlines will post the largest absolute losses at US$29.0 billion. Global passenger numbers are expected to decline by 55% compared to 2019.

For more information:  

Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967 

Email: corpcomms@iata.org 

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  • IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic. 
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