US airlines may make Covid test mandatory for passengers

Photo by Joel Mott

The U.S carriers including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines will soon make it mandatory for passengers to have Covid test certificates.

Airline trade group Airlines for America (A4A) has written to Vice President favoring Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s proposal for a mandatory testing regime for all arrivals.

In the letter, Airlines for America asked “to move ahead with recommendations to rescind current entry restrictions on travellers from Europe, the United Kingdom and Brazil as soon as possible. These entry restrictions should be removed concurrently with the testing program.”

The group supports Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposal to implement “a global program to require testing for travellers to the United States.”

“We believe a well-planned program focused on increasing testing of travelers to the United States will further these objectives in a much more effective way than the blanket travel restrictions currently in place,” the airlines’ letter said.

The proposal has been made in the wake of reports stating that the White House was thinking lifting restrictions on non-US citizens from travelling to the United States from the 26 members of the Schengen area.

However, a testing-based approach is appeared to be a precursor for reopening borders. The trade group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had earlier demanded it saying “allow governments to open borders without quarantine.” A move considered as crucial for airlines which has been in deep trouble since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.