In line with the latest recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), ICAO has issued a new global bulletin urging a "more measured and evidence-based approach" to countries' national air transport restrictions due to the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

In a statement, it said until more detailed assessments are available, the UN aviation agency is encouraging countries to continue combatting the spread of COVID-19, and specifically the Omicron variant, using the recommendations and guidance contained in the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force’s (CART) Take-off Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, in addition to the third edition of ICAO’s Manual on COVID-19 Cross-Border Risk Management.

 
"It's critical that we continue to respond to this disease and its variants on the basis of the best available science and evidence," commented ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, on the new bulletin.
 
"Countries have recently and very clearly reinforced their commitments to proceed on this basis through their Ministerial Declaration outcome from our High-level Conference on COVID-19, in addition to other multilateral statements, and the costs and implications of being excessively cautious and overly restrictive in this context must be carefully measured by all concerned," he added.
 
In its statement ICAO emphasized its motion that along with other UN bodies it "have been consistently reinforcing that no country can defeat COVID-19 in isolation, and that the costs of significantly restricted global air mobility affect all countries, and are especially acute for Landlocked and Small Island Developing States."

"This is affecting millions of livelihoods globally, and the basic capabilities of many countries to pursue current UN Agenda 2030 and Common Agenda objectives for global sustainability, prosperity, equality, and well-being," it added.

ICAO then called on countries to "follow and implement ICAO's guidance" with the coordination and support of the ICAO Regional Offices, and according to their specific national needs and circumstances.
 
The ICAO bulletin also re-emphasized the importance of "a globally coordinated approach," and for countries to proceed based on "principles of solidarity and equality in order to mitigate the transmission of the disease and facilitate the recovery of international travel and the global economy."