New variants of the COVID-19 are beginning to emerge, with the world fearing a third wave of the pandemic and a further drop in travellers’ confidence. However, for those who still wish to travel, the likelihood of being discouraged due to the high cost of COVID tests is disturbing and does not bode well for the aviation industry. According to IATA’s most recent traveller survey, 86% of respondents are willing to get tested, but 70% agree that the high cost of testing is a significant barrier to travel, while 78% believe governments should bear the cost of mandatory testing.
In Nigeria, the basic cost of a COVID-19 test is about N50,000, but mobilization and logistics charges could raise the total price as high as N100,000; this is already unaffordable and inaccessible to the average Nigerian. And what’s more, fully vaccinated travellers are not exempted, as COVID-19 tests are deemed mandatory whether one is vaccinated or not.
“Nigeria needs to incentivize the aviation industry by considering exempting fully vaccinated travellers from taking COVID-19 tests”
Naturally, vaccination should take priority for airlines and aviation authorities over COVID antigen tests in Nigeria for entry or exit, and this has already been replicated in other countries; In the UK, fully-vaccinated US and EU visitors will be able to travel quarantine-free to England as from August 2nd; Canada also eased border restrictions for fully vaccinated US residents to travel as from August also. This does not include the over 50 countries that have opened up their borders for fully vaccinated tourists.
Everyone has been setback by challenges caused by the pandemic; airlines have had to sustain operations despite billions of dollars in revenue lost, which comes as a relief to know that Nigerian airlines have been exempted from paying the 7 per cent surcharge on imported aircraft and spares.
The government must now turn their attention to incentivizing travellers and tourists by subsidizing COVID tests to make them accessible and affordable to the average traveller and exempting vaccinated travellers from taking the COVID-19 tests.