On 5th March, the Steering Committee of the National Civil Aviation Development Forum (NCADF) and wider industry stakeholders met with Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, and Minister of State for International and Road Transport and Logistics, Hildegarde Naughton, where it was agreed that the industry and the Government needed to urgently develop an exit strategy from the current Covid-19 restrictions in order to re-establish Ireland’s international connectivity and enable the recovery of the aviation sector.
The Aviation Restart Plan published yesterday by the NCADF sets out a balanced and evidence-based approach to enable the recommencement of aviation and the restoration of Ireland’s connectivity. It contains a comprehensive set of recommendations which, if finalised and implemented, can facilitate the restoration of connectivity whilst continuing to protect public health.
The NCADF looks forward to Government urgently taking the required steps to enable the finalisation of the plan in order to allow it to be implemented. The aviation sector works to long lead-times and in order to be ready to respond to demand in the coming months as vaccination levels reach critical mass, tangible parameters must be set to enable our industry to plan for the reopening of international travel (including for the removal of the ban on all non-essential international travel and any requirement for hotel quarantine).
The NCADF industry members are: Aer Lingus; daa; Ireland West Airport; Irish Aviation Authority Air Navigation Service Provider; IBEC; Ryanair; and Shannon Airport Authority.
