The global aviation industry saw speedy rebounds once most of the world fully reopened its borders and got rid of travel restrictions early last year. However, the industry might be taking several steps back in less than a year as several countries have started reinstating restrictions.Pre-departure tests, arrival tests, and vaccination certificates are quickly starting to come back, much to every passenger's dismay. And another country joining the bandwagon is Nepal, as the nation now requires all passengers to present a COVID-19 test certificate before entering the country.
Reinstating restrictions in less than a year
On March 10th last year, Nepal fully reopened its doors to all travelers and removed its pre-arrival testing requirements to move forward in the post-pandemic era and reattract the much-needed tourism numbers. However, less than a year later, on December 23rd, the country reimplemented such measures, taking quite a step back.
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According to the Civil Aviation Authority Nepal, the reimposed restrictions were due to the sudden spikes in infection rates in several countries, including China, South Korea, and Japan, where Nepal has a high mobility rate. As a precautionary measure, the aviation authority wants all non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated passengers to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test and present a negative result.
On the other hand, fully vaccinated passengers are to present their internationally recognized vaccination certificates. And as for now, the restrictions in Nepal do not require passengers to quarantine themselves, but hotel bookings and bought travel insurance must also be presented. The testing requirements will also be exempted for children under the age of five.
Notice to all international passengers
And going in line with the aviation authority is flag carrier Nepal Airlines, which issued a notice to all passengers to inform them that they must mandatorily present their vaccination statuses or a negative test result upon arrival in Nepal. Unlike some countries that specify how only passengers arriving from China need to abide by the restrictions, Nepal Airlines highlights that it applies to every international passenger, regardless of the origin country.
When commenting on the flag carrier's decision, joint spokesperson Ganesh Kumar Ghimire said:
"We came to this new decision in the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases worldwide."
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Bottom line
It's unlikely that Nepal and its flag carrier are the last to hop onto the bandwagon of reimposing travel restrictions. While there's no requirement for quarantine or face masks in most of the world, the possibility does linger as countries scramble in a slight panic. Unfortunately, national restrictions will always adversely affect air travel, as airlines would have to comply with regulations, ultimately impacting passenger demand.
Already, some airlines have seen declining demand in certain countries due to arrival restrictions, and such trends will certainly continue. This year was supposed to be the definite comeback year for several airlines as they forecasted surpassing pre-pandemic levels and network expansions, but it seems such plans had already stalled before they were even cleared for take-off.
Source: Kathmandu Post