Forbidding flight to flee from the Omicron fear

• Nearly 44 countries have imposed travel restrictions due to the Omicron scare

• Travel restrictions imposed by many countries have left travelers stranded in the South African region  

Just as the travel industry had begun to feel optimistic about the reopening of the economy, the Omicron coronavirus variant announced its arrival dimming the hopes of a return to normal.

New travel restrictions imposed by many countries have left travelers stranded as some countries temporarily barred flights or arriving passengers from the South African region.

Also Read: Omicron coronavirus variant: All your questions answered

The B.1.1.529 variant was first identified in South Africa and is rapidly spreading in Gauteng province which includes the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria. It has set foot in the U.S., India, UK, Israel, and many other EU nations. 

Travel bans

Nearly 44 countries have imposed travel restrictions due to the Omicron scare. The United States has banned travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi. 

New Zealand, Netherlands, Indonesia, Italy, and Canada have followed suit and closed off their borders for travelers from South African countries.

Morocco, Japan, and Israel have gone a step further and decided to ban all incoming international flights for at least two weeks.

Australia has delayed the reopening of its international borders from 1 December by a fortnight to 15 December. 

Also Read: Dissecting the latest coronavirus variant threat — Omicron

Meanwhile, Malaysia and Singapore have decided to reopen their borders as planned. 

The U.K. has reintroduced PCR tests on Day 2 for all arrivals, regardless of vaccination status and country of origin, and travelers must self-isolate until the test result comes through as negative.

Air traffic statistics

Fitch Ratings on Tuesday lowered its outlook for global air traffic this year to just over half of 2019 levels, down from a previous forecast of a 35% drop, and cut its outlook for 2022 and 2023, noting “new, highly contagious variants, such as Omicron, highlight the likelihood operating conditions remain volatile and the downside risk to forecasts”, reported CNBC.

Aviation industry experts appear divided on the industry’s future with some being upbeat about the industry’s future and don’t expect the bookings to fall. 

Searches for domestic U.S. flights are up 21% from a week ago while international trips originating in the United States are flat, reported CNBC.

Network carriers like Delta, American, and United, the U.S. airlines that are most reliant on international travel, had noted a surge in bookings for trips abroad after the U.S. announced in the fall that it would lift travel restrictions. United re-launched its non-stop service to Cape Town, South Africa on Wednesday from Newark.

CNBC reported that General Electric Aviation CEO John Slattery said airline customers are still planning for “a strong spring and strong summer.”

“I hope that the governments around the world will support an open-border philosophy and policy,” he added.

Dent in the optimism

Despite the reigning optimism, last-minute cancellations in business travel are being recorded all over the world. The CNBC report mentioned that London Bullion Market Association canceled its annual black-tie dinner for precious metals traders and others in the industry that was scheduled for Wednesday.

Also Read: Unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to dampen economic recovery, WTO chief tells CNBC

The International Broadcasting Convention last week called off its in-person event in Amsterdam that was scheduled for December 3 to 6.

Efficacy of travel bans

CNN reported that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) believed that travel bans aren’t a long-term solution to control the spread of variants.

Many believe that instead of reducing infection rates, travel bans could prompt people to travel quickly to get into place for when travel bans come into effect, leading to crowding at airports. 

Others believe travel bans are could help contain the spread of variants in the early days by slowing down their progress. This would provide scientists with enough time to decode the variants and enable leaders to formulate strategies to tackle and prepare for adverse conditions.

Also Read: WHO member nations vote to start drafting plan to deal with future pandemics

Experts believe that travel bans against one particular country won’t be able to contain the spread or impact of the virus as having the last two years shown with countries first banning travel from China and then India where the COVID-19 virus and its delta variant were first discovered, respectively.

Also Read: Pfizer's COVID-19 oral pill to be effective against omicron variant, CEO tells CNBC

With Inputs from CNBC

Picture Credits: NBC News