Iata has issued a statement thanking aviation regulators including the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority for providing flexibility to airline and flight crew during the coronavirus crisis.
The association highlighted the CAA’s process to allow an extension to the validity of pilot and cabin crew requirements, alongside measures taken by bodies including the European Aviation Safety Agency and national authorities in the UAE, China and Mexico.
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Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Iata senior vice-president of safety and flight operations, said: “Safety is the industry’s top priority. Countries have a well-established licensing system to ensure this. Airlines and their employees are facing an unprecedented challenge in coping with the business and operational impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
“In this extraordinarily difficult environment, we are grateful for actions to ease regulatory requirements that do not impact the safety of flights.”
He added: “Aviation is built on partnership and working together. The actions taken by these regulators will provide airlines and licensed crew with the necessary flexibility for licence extensions without compromising safety. We urge others to quickly follow suit and grant similar short-term relief.”