The director of the global airline industry association IATA criticized risk-averse governments for stretching the COVID-19 problem for the travel industry, but he expects things to improve in the second half of the year.

Willie Walsh, the former CEO of British Airways Company IAG, expects favorable evidence on vaccination efficiency to persuade governments to begin relaxing restrictions.

“There is also some reason to be hopeful that, as we get into the second half of this year, we will see a better atmosphere that will permit more people to travel,” he said on Friday.

Because of ongoing limitations, most international aviation traffic remains low over 18 months into the outbreak.

Walsh, who took over as IATA president in April, claimed that governments were becoming excessively risk-averse and that laws needed to be replaced to indicate research demonstrating that vaccinated traveling or travel with testing present minimal harm to a country's rate of infection.

“The aviation industry's issue, which was first precipitated by a health epidemic, is now actually a problem driven by government constraints,” Walsh explained.

He pointed out the United Kingdom in particular, highlighting restrictions that compel visitors from almost every nation to complete at least two coronavirus tests and enter quarantine. Walsh also slammed the “incredible comical confusion” caused by different political signals on travel.

Many of the nations on Britain's "amber list" for medium-risk travel have extremely low transmission percentages, according to Walsh.

“Had I been vaccinated, I wouldn't hesitate to go to these nations,” he remarked, referring to areas like the United States, Spain, France, and Italy, which were popular tourist destinations for Britons before the pandemic.

Britain stated that its cautious approach to resuming overseas travel was intended to prioritize public health.

“Country categorization is governed by evidence and analysis of a variety of crucial aspects, particularly infection rates, the occurrence of variations of concern, and the country's availability to accurate scientific data and genomic sequencing,” stated a Department of Transport spokeswoman.

Both the UK and the US have excellent vaccination rates, as per Walsh, which gives him hope that a travel passage between the two nations will open in June.

“I believe there are excellent reasons to be confident that the UK and US would be able to resume transatlantic flying,” he added. The growing green pushback against oil majors by activists and shareholders is a positive trend for the aviation sector as it prepares to boost its environmental targets, according to the chairman of global airline association IATA on Friday.

Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, stated that issues like the ones faced by Exxon, Chevron, and Shell this week might spur investment in the lower-emission energy sources that airlines sorely need.

“I believe it is fantastic that the oil sector has been chastised. “Something which speeds up the creation of sustainable energy is a beneficial move,” Walsh told Reuters.

On Wednesday, three oil corporations were defeated: 61% of Chevron shareholders sought end-use carbon limits, and Exxon Mobil had two activist candidates chosen on its board to advance climate demands. A Dutch court also ordered Royal Dutch Shell to reduce its emissions significantly.

As per Walsh, the former CEO of British Airways and its owner IAG, the COVID-19 epidemic has intensified the spotlight and pressure on climate pollution.

Walsh added that global airlines who already agreed to cut net emissions in half by 2050 would be urged to go even farther at IATA's annual conference in October, repeating warnings provided by his leaving predecessor, Alexandre de Juniac.

Walsh stated that the Paris Agreement and subsequent promises from governments and organizations including several airlines - to eradicate net carbon pollution by mid-century had surpassed the earlier 2009 objective.

“Anything below net-zero by 2050 would be unsatisfactory for the sector and would expose us to accusations that we were not doing enough,” he added while noting that some countries, like China, still consider the aim to be overly ambitious.

Increasing the aviation target will need joint investment by energy firms and aircraft manufacturers, and the elimination of fuel-wasting air traffic control inefficiencies, which are notably prevalent in Europe, according to Walsh.