<p>European airlines on Tuesday urged national capitals to coordinate measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, saying the current patchwork of restrictions is hobbling a return to regular travel around the EU.</p>.<p>The hurdles have included "chaotic border restrictions along with confusion about quarantines, varying passenger locator forms, and test requirements," Airlines For Europe (A4E) director Thomas Reynaert said in a press conference held by video.</p>.<p>To overcome the piecemeal measures, A4E urged a "common approach", backing calls from the European Commission for a central color-coded map of areas in the bloc where the virus risk is high -- enabling restrictions by region rather than "blanket national restrictions".</p>.<p>Passengers should have access to "quick and reliable Covid-19 tests" and quarantines should be downgraded to "an instrument of last resort", the airline group said.</p>.<p>"Low-risk" travelers including pilots and cabin crew ought to be excluded from travel restrictions, the companies added.</p>.<p>The airlines' appeal to governments comes after August saw passenger traffic plateau at around 30 percent of its level a year ago, according to A4E's own figures.</p>.<p>"A unified European testing programme is urgently needed if we are to have any chance of restoring passenger confidence," Reynaert said.</p>.<p>Greater EU-wide coordination should be made a "political priority", Air France-KLM chief and A4E chairman Benjamin Smith said.</p>.<p>"Uncoordinated national measures over the last six months have had a devastating impact on freedom of movement."</p>.<p>Alexandre de Juniac, head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told France's Europe 1 radio that "we're proposing... a procedure for testing passengers at their departure airports, so the destination country knows there's a minimal risk".</p>.<p>"Restriction measures, above all quarantine measures, you have to understand that these are huge deterrents to any kind of travel," he added.</p>
<p>European airlines on Tuesday urged national capitals to coordinate measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, saying the current patchwork of restrictions is hobbling a return to regular travel around the EU.</p>.<p>The hurdles have included "chaotic border restrictions along with confusion about quarantines, varying passenger locator forms, and test requirements," Airlines For Europe (A4E) director Thomas Reynaert said in a press conference held by video.</p>.<p>To overcome the piecemeal measures, A4E urged a "common approach", backing calls from the European Commission for a central color-coded map of areas in the bloc where the virus risk is high -- enabling restrictions by region rather than "blanket national restrictions".</p>.<p>Passengers should have access to "quick and reliable Covid-19 tests" and quarantines should be downgraded to "an instrument of last resort", the airline group said.</p>.<p>"Low-risk" travelers including pilots and cabin crew ought to be excluded from travel restrictions, the companies added.</p>.<p>The airlines' appeal to governments comes after August saw passenger traffic plateau at around 30 percent of its level a year ago, according to A4E's own figures.</p>.<p>"A unified European testing programme is urgently needed if we are to have any chance of restoring passenger confidence," Reynaert said.</p>.<p>Greater EU-wide coordination should be made a "political priority", Air France-KLM chief and A4E chairman Benjamin Smith said.</p>.<p>"Uncoordinated national measures over the last six months have had a devastating impact on freedom of movement."</p>.<p>Alexandre de Juniac, head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told France's Europe 1 radio that "we're proposing... a procedure for testing passengers at their departure airports, so the destination country knows there's a minimal risk".</p>.<p>"Restriction measures, above all quarantine measures, you have to understand that these are huge deterrents to any kind of travel," he added.</p>