No one will be more disappointed by the decision announced today that IATA’s 2020 AGM event is going virtual than the association’s leader, Alexandre de Juniac.

Emotion and urgency hung heavy in the air on the lawns of the US Capitol as the CEOs of three major airlines, the leaders of five large aviation unions and two congressmen appealed to Washington “to do the right thing”.

Today’s announcement by IATA that it wants airlines to implement 100% COVID-19 testing for all international passengers before their departure and return flights shows how grave the situation has become for the global air transport industry.

A proposal by the European Commission (EC) to simplify information about COVID-related travel threats runs the risk of doing the opposite.

Argentina was scheduled to reopen its borders and permit airlines to fly in and out of the country on Sept. 1 after almost six months of mandatory closure. It won’t happen.

Two fatal airliner crashes this year are a sober reminder that commercial air travel safety is not all about reducing virus transmission; the pre-pandemic industry definition of safety first remains true.

For airlines, the COVID-19 crisis brings no silver lining. They were stripped almost overnight and worldwide of passengers and revenue while retaining much of their high cost base.

COVID-19 provides a reset opportunity for airlines.