The US travel ban imposed over the weekend caught the airline industry unprepared, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.
The organisation is still awaiting clarity on a number of issues relating to the ban.
The Trump administration signed an executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. There is a suspension on the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days.
The organisation said as a “matter of principle” it works for the free movement of trade and people across borders.
“Entry requirements for the United States were changed significantly and immediately by an Executive Order (EO) issued 27 January 2017,” IATA said in a statement. “The EO was issued without prior coordination or warning, causing confusion among both airlines and travellers. It also placed additional burdens on airlines to comply with unclear requirements, to bear implementation costs and to face potential penalties for non-compliance.”
It added: “We ask for early clarity from the US administration on the current situation. Moreover, we urge all governments to provide sufficient advance coordination of changes in entry requirements so that travellers can clearly understand them and airlines can efficiently implement them.”
A number of airlines have been forced to change flight and pilot schedules due to the ban. An Emirates spokeswoman said the airline had made “the necessary adjustments to crewing, to comply with the latest requirements”. She said flights to the US would continue to operate to schedule.