Airlines Are Really Upset With Canada's New Testing Rules For International Travellers

International airlines are very unhappy with a new set of Canada travel rules that require most incoming travellers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before they can enter the country.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the government should postpone the new rules, which come into effect on January 7.

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We cannot afford to move in the wrong direction with the disastrous implementation of a counter-productive testing policy. The IATA

Canada announced the new travel rules on December 30, mandating that all international passengers — including Canadian citizens — need to provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken in the 72 hours before flying.

International passengers will then still have to follow the arrival procedures of whatever province they land in. 

"Canada already has one the world’s most draconian COVID-19 border control regimes," the IATA said.

The organization is calling on the Canadian government to put the changes on hold until it selects a more realistic timeline for the new rules and loosens quarantine measures as well.

When Canada announced the change, the government specified that the negative COVID-19 test requirement was in addition to the current quarantine measures.

The government also recently announced plans to tighten Canada's quarantine rules — people who don't properly quarantine when they arrive in the country could face "serious consequences," officials said.