Over 20 EU Travel and Tourism Associations issue open letter to President von der Leyen following further dramatic decreases in air passenger traffic 

Brussels, 18 September 2020: 25 travel and tourism bodies as well as unions across Europe united today in an unprecedented call for European Commission leadership to replace quarantine restrictions with an EU Testing Protocol for Travel in a bid to save the livelihoods of more than 27 million Europeans who work in the sector.

In an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the groups – which represent over 5,000 member companies and their workers, point to a continued lack of coordination and diverging travel restrictions as crippling their business. The letter is signed by representatives from across the tourism and travel sector and their workers, including airlines, airports, railways, ground handlers, caterers, travel retailers, air navigation service providers, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, cafes, travel agents, road transport operators and logistics services, camp sites, holiday parks, taxi operators, tourism boards and authorities and all their associated supply chains.

“With estimated 55% fewer flights, an overall revenue loss of some €140 billion across the European aviation industry and a growing number of frustrated travellers, it’s about time that Europe shows some leadership in getting travel restrictions coordinated properly across the continent”, said Thomas Reynaert, Managing Director, Airlines for Europe (A4E).  More than 20,000 A4E airline passengers were denied boarding this summer due to the chaotic, fragmented situation.

The letter comes as the latest data from airport body ACI EUROPE shows a continued decline in passenger traffic at Europe’s airports during the first two weeks of September – now standing at a loss of -73%; down from sluggish ‘peak recovery level’ of -65% mid-August.

“This chaotic situation requires your immediate personal involvement” states the letter to Mrs. von der Leyen. “We are thus urging you to make this issue a top priority and calling on you to address this issue directly with Heads of State and Government”.

“We are therefore also urging you to ensure that the Commission takes the lead in the development of an EU Testing Protocol for travel and its implementation to avoid quarantines and re-open borders”.

The sectors that have united in this call for immediate action point to the fact that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) formally advises states against extreme travel restrictions, which are neither risk-based nor proven effective where community transmission is already present – which is the case across Europe.

The letter concludes by highlighting the core pillars and essential purpose of the European goals. The reduction and removal of quarantines are, state the signatories, “instrumental in re-establishing the free movement of people, ending current discriminations and restoring the essential functionality of the Single Market”.

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Signatories to the letter include:

Airline Catering Associations (ACA)

Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE)

Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE)

Alliance of Rail New Entrants (ALLRAIL)

Airport Services Association (ASA)

AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD)

Airlines for Europe (A4E)

Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO)

European Business Aviation Association (EBAA)

European Cockpit Association (ECA)

European Travel Agents and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA)

European Federation of Campingsite Organisations & Holiday Park Associations (EFCO&HPA)

European Regions Airline Association (ERA)

European Travel Commission (ETC)

European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF)

European Tourism Association (ETOA)

European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC)

EU Travel Tech (ETT)

EuroGites (eurogites)

General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)

Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés in Europe (HOTREC)

International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)

International Air Transport Association (IATA)

International Road Transport Union (IRU)

Taxi Europe Alliance (TEA)

For more information, contact:

Virginia Lee, Director, Media & Communications, ACI EUROPE

tel: +32 2 552 09 82

Email: virginia.lee@aci-europe.org

Jennifer Janzen, Communications Director, Airlines for Europe (A4E)

tel: +32 499 8282 94

Email: Jennifer.Janzen@a4e.eu