KUALA LUMPUR: Capital A calls on governments across Asia to further ease travel restrictions to revive the global economy as the world reopens alongside high vaccination rates.
Capital A commercial president Collin Currie said the revival of the tourism sector is pivotal to supporting the people's livelihood, as it accounts for 13 per cent of Asean's aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) and six per cent of total employment.
"The majority of the world is now fully vaccinated, and a sizable portion has also received booster shots.
"Data in the region also shows that the chance of hospitalisation from Covid-19 for those fully vaccinated is minimal.
"We thank the governments in ASEAN, which are finally reopening borders. This is a significant first step to reviving economic growth.
"With a high percentage of people in ASEAN fully vaccinated, we believe that it is time to review the onerous deterrents still stifling air travel, including the numerous testing requirements both pre-departure and on arrival, additional paperwork and costly Covid travel insurance," he said in a statement today.
Capital A is the holding company for the AirAsia Aviation Group.
AirAsia Aviation group chief executive officer Bo Lingam said the global recovery in air travel is underway.
"We are happy to note that many countries are already making the journey more accessible and tourist-friendly.
"Countries that persist in trying to lock out the disease instead of managing it, as we do for other diseases, face the risk of missing out on significant economic benefits," he said.
Bo said AirAsia continues to play its part in the revival by looking at ways to make air travel as affordable and hassle-free as possible for its guests, including fully contactless procedures at the airports and in the air.
Last week, the aviation group announced a partnership with leading local provider Medijaya to provide more affordable and convenient testing facilities in Malaysia.
He said the company plans to roll out similar partnerships in other destinations soon.
"We will continue to work closely with respective governments, regulators and industry partners across Asia and the Pacific and thank them for their support as we work together to reduce the friction of air travel to stimulate demand and help revive the economy as a whole," he added.