The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is praising regulators that have acted to provide more flexibility to airlines and flight crews in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
As of Sunday, the virus had sickened 294,110 people in 187 countries, with 12,944 confirmed deaths, according to data from the U.N. World Health Organization. In response to the outbreak, airlines and airports worldwide have implemented health-screening measures, taken associated precautions and cut back on the number of flights.
Gilberto Lopez Meyer, IATA senior vice president, safety and flight operations, said the situation presents airlines with unprecedented challenges.
“Safety is the industry’s top priority,” Lopez Meyer said. “Countries have a well-established licensing system to ensure this. … In this extraordinarily difficult environment, we are grateful for actions to ease regulatory requirements that do no…
