American domestic air travel

Flight Global reports that US airline executives have met with administration officials at the White House to lobby against a possible coronavirus testing requirement for all domestic air travellers.

Airlines have been wary of such plans since an official at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the agency was actively looking at expanding the requirement to domestic flights.

The US government has required Covid-19 tests for inbound international travellers since 26 January. Those passengers must present negative coronavirus test results (that are less than 72hr old) before being permitted to board aircraft bound for US airports.

“We appreciated the opportunity to meet with the administration this morning,” says Nicholas Calio, chief executive of trade group Airlines for America (A4A) on 12 February. “We had a very positive, constructive conversation focused on our shared commitment to science-based policies as we work together to end the pandemic, restore air travel and lead our nation toward recovery.”

On 29 January, a coalition of travel industry lobby groups and unions, including A4A, had urged the new US administration to reject a coronavirus testing mandate for domestic air travel. More than 20 trade organisations wrote in a letter to the government’s Covid recovery team that such a measure would be superfluous and could cause further economic hardship.

In the past weeks, airlines and unions have repeatedly stressed their opposition to implementing testing for travellers within the US.

www.airlines.org

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john hepworth,

I doubt I will ever travel to the US again however I find i am astounded that people in the US think they can fly around witout some form of checks.How do they think this disease gets transmiited