U.S. airline, travel industry wants to end pre-travel testing

(CNN) — White House officials met with travel industry officials on Tuesday to pressure the Biden administration to end the requirement for vaccinated foreign travelers to be tested for coronavirus before flying to the United States.

Airlines for America, which represents the major US airlines, and the US Travel Association, which represents the broad travel and tourism industry, argued that this requirement was inconsistent with the current threat from Covid-19.

They also state that the requirements are detrimental to the US economy.

“Frankly, the only impact of pre-departure testing requirements is the chilling effect on the already fragile economy here in the United States,” Airlines for America chief Nick Cario said in a post-meeting statement. Stated.

“The travel industry remains disproportionately damaged by this requirement,” Roger Dow of the American Travel Association said in another statement, although restrictions on many other businesses have been lifted.

“Other countries in which we are directly competing with travelers around the world have removed pre-departure testing requirements, resumed the tourism economy and exposed the United States to a serious competitive disadvantage against the export dollar. “There is,” Dow said.

Airlines for America said its members, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, believe that lifting the requirement will allow more foreigners to visit the United States. ..

In mid-May, domestic travel was within 7 percent of pre-pandemic levels, but overseas travel was 14 percent behind normal, according to industry groups.

The industry has criticized this policy for months as obsolete.

Some health professionals have also questioned the usefulness of the policy.

For Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, it doesn’t make much sense to test arrivals from abroad.

“I’ve been confused about it for a long time because there are so many Covids here! It’s not that we’re trying to keep Covid out.” Schaffner told CNN Travel March. “It’s already here”

CNN contacted the White House for comment.

Source: www.cnn.com

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