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ACI SAYS EASING OF RESTRICTIONS IN HONG KONG, TAIWAN AND JAPAN TO BOOST AVIATION
September 27, 2022
Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific welcomed the recent move of Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan to relax COVID-related restrictions on international travel saying that this will help in the further recovery of the aviation sector in the region.
"This is a significant decision that will not only restore freedom of travel but also provide much-needed impetus for the recovery of the aviation industry," ACI Asia-Pacific — which represents 617 airports — said.
"The restriction decision comes as a massive boost to the aviation industry at a time when Asia-Pacific risks losing its position as the world's biggest civil aviation market for 2022 owing to prolonged restrictions in some countries in the region," it added.
ACI earlier reported that China's tough border measures and Japan's cautious approach toward the relaxation of inbound travel restrictions could displace Asia-Pacific as the world's largest air passenger market for the year 2022.
But this week, some of the last major Asian holdouts — except China — have announced that they are easing almost all the Covid-19 related restrictions.
"ACI Asia-Pacific and its 617 airports welcome the decisions by the Governments of Japan, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei for taking significant steps to relax COVID-related restrictions on international travel. This will not only restore freedom of travel but also provide the impetus needed for the recovery of the aviation industry," said Stefano Baronci, director general, ACI Asia-Pacific.
Japan had maintained strict border measures among major economies since the outbreak of the pandemic, having effectively blocked entry to visitors for two years until it began a gradual reopening in June.
Taiwan also announced its plan to remove inbound quarantine for international arrivals by October 13 after previously requiring arrivals to quarantine in hotels for three days followed by four days of self-monitoring.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government also announced the easing of hotel quarantine requirements for all international arrivals who will now be able to return home or to the accommodation of their choice but will have to self-monitor for three days after entering the city.
More relaxation in Hong Kong sought
Despite this, ACI is seeking more actions from the Hong Kong government to help the sector bounce back faster.
"We expect the Hong Kong government to do away with existing restrictions of three-day to avoid further dampening of the economy," Baronci said. "Owing to the prolonged restrictions on inbound travel, Hong Kong has lost its position as the busiest airport for international traffic in Asia. Immediate actions are required to revitalise the economy."
"We hope to see more positive developments coming from China in relaxation of COVID measures for international travel," he added.
ACI-Asia Pacific said earlier this month, it wrote a letter, co-signed by ACI World and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), to the Prime Minister of Japan, urging the government to remove all restrictions and restore the travel privileges to enable smooth recovery of the industry in the region.
