Halt isolation of Ebola nations: Iata

[JOHANNESBURG] Airlines should maintain services to Ebola-hit regions which need connections with the outside world in order to fight the disease, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said yesterday, after more carriers put flights on hold.

The industry needs only to screen passengers at airports in infected areas, apply rigorous procedures, including isolation, when handling suspected cases, and fully disinfect planes afterwards, it said, citing World Health Organization advice that aviation constitutes a "low risk" for Ebola transmission.

"They have been very clear that travel and trade bans are unnecessary," Raphael Kuuchi, Iata's vice-president said in Johannesburg. "Unless this advice changes, we hope that countries working hard to eradicate Ebola continue to benefit from air connectivity."