The world aviation association IATA is intensifying the criticism expressed in the direction of governments regarding the corona pandemic. Chairman Willie Walsh is even of the opinion that this would unnecessarily prolong the crisis in which the airlines find themselves.

Compared to the FVW, the former IAG CEO said, among other things: “This is no longer a crisis as a result of the pandemic, but a crisis as a result of the state's reactions to the pandemic in the form of restrictions”. The IATA executive urges governments to allow vaccinated people to travel without restrictions.

He admits that some measures were necessary and useful at the beginning of the pandemic, because we didn't really know what the coronavirus was actually about. A lot of time has now passed, and vaccination rates are rising rapidly in many countries. The health systems would also no longer be on the verge of collapse. The widespread availability of vaccines has changed the situation and that is why the IATA boss demands that vaccinated people be allowed to travel freely and without restrictions.

Willie Walsh's statement should not be purely coincidental, because various governments in Europe are tinkering with the approaching winter. It is said that one wants to avoid lockdowns, but one does not rule out lockdowns for the unvaccinated. Looking back on the past year, one should bear in mind that lockdowns were ruled out by many politicians at the time, but were then imposed repeatedly.