There can be delay of a day or two between testing positive on a PCR test compared to using an at-home rapid test, said Edwards. "There is huge demand from the Irish market for travel to the US. The testing requirement is widely viewed as a deterrent to a full international recovery by airlines and others in the travel industry. Departures will be down roughly 20 percent year-over-three-years in the second quarter compared to a 5 percent decline for the airlines mainline operation. Airlines for America chief Nick Calio added that requirement harmed the US economy. Another limiter on Americans schedule plans are aircraft delivery delays at Boeing. Airlines, travel groups ask Biden administration to drop Covid testing before international flights (CNBC), This is a BETA experience. The letter to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha said "the economic costs associated with maintaining the measure are significant," saying international travel spending is down 78% compared with 2019 levels. WebScrapping the requirement would bring New Zealand into line with a growing number of countries that have done away with Covid tests. Our solutions help your company improve its environmental footprint. And to answer the question put to me, I can only HOPE/PRAY that ALL cruise lines grow BIG cajones and tell the CDC "ENOUGH" of this BS stranglehold over their industry. Canada is suspending random Covid-19 testing at all its airports for the rest of June to ease the long wait times that travellers have encountered in recent weeks, a government source said today. An April survey by The Points Guy, a travel website which is owned by the same parent company as Healthline, also found that 53 percent of people said they would be more likely to travel outside the United States if there wasnt a testing requirement to reenter the country. Time to End US Pre-Departure Testing for Fully Vaccinated Travelers. Removing the pre-departure testing requirement for fully vaccinated travelers will greatly support the recovery of travel and aviation in the US and American Airlines has added its voice to the growing chorus of travel industry companies calling for an end of pre-departure Covid testing rules for arriving international travelers. On Friday, White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz tweeted that the need for testing will be "based on the science and in context of circulating variants.". We know that testing and staying home after youve tested positive is very effective at stopping the spread of disease, said Emily R. Smith, ScD, MPH, an assistant professor of global health at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. Why is Wizz Air suspending flights to this Eastern European country? 0:00. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. The 24-hour window for the current pre-departure testing requirement that was put in place late last year has proven to be stressful for travelers, not to mention a continued hindrance on the travel industry. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. The groups pointed to the stronger immunity against the coronavirus provided by vaccinations, boosters and prior infections, as well as effective treatments that reduce the risk of severe illness. Biden lied during his campaign that he would stop the Wuhan virus, but he has over 700,000 deaths associated with his tenure so far. Blackstone blocked investor withdrawals from $71 billion REIT in February, Trafigura says Gupta sought to pass off Russian metal as Indian - court docs, US STOCKS-S&P 500, Nasdaq slip as rising yields spook investors, Hours after deadly train crash, Greece agonises over what went wrong. Go figure. IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 300 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic. if(!fbz_F15558_sb_logged){fbz_SmartForm('F15558_sb',feedblitz_full_form); Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Digging deeper, TripIt says that 44% of those asked say theyd be more likely to travel if the requirement was removed. IATA Global Media Days took place 6-7 December in Geneva with some 100 journalists. However, a bottleneck getting those crew members trained and certified means American will fly less than it wants through the end of the year. Nevertheless, Smith said many experts, including herself, argue that policies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are still important. The carrier has exceeded its pilot hiring target with 600 hires to date in 2022, Isom said. These could have been carried there by international airline passengers. At that time, it will determine if there is a need to reinstate it if cases dramatically increase or a concerning new variant is discovered, for example. So much for following the science. If there is a need to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement including due to a new, concerning variant CDC will not hesitate to act, the official said. As it stands, any international travelers must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test within a day of their departure for the U.S. This week, the US coordinator of the Covid response, Jeff Zients, responded to a reporter who asked about the pre-departure tests currently in place for heading to the US. Last month, a group of airline and travel executives including the CEOs of American, Delta and United Airlines wrote to President Biden urging him to scrap pre-departure testing alongside the federal face mask mandate. Many coronavirus variants first identified in other countries including Beta, Delta and Omicron eventually made it to the United States. From 04:00 GMT on Sunday 9 January they will only have to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test on day two. American received only one of 19 787s it expected in 2021 and, now, Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said it will only receive seven this year with the balance in 2023 and 2024. Random testing was blamed by some industry officials for lengthening already long wait times at airports. Are there any testing sites or home tests that anyone can recommend? The administration has come under increasing pressure to scrap pre-departure rules after the likes of the United Kingdom and even Australia announced plans to lift their own testing requirements for international arrivals. Your email address will not be published. This applies to every traveler 2 years of age and older. The gap between 90 and 100 [percent] is really due to long-haul international demand and certain pockets of domestic demand. While travel insurance and booking flights with a cancellation option could help to blunt those costs in some cases, many travelers still found themselves dealing with different rules for each carrier or hotel. All passengers had needed to show a negative Covid test taken shortly before travel - or proof of having recovered from the virus in the past 90 days - before they boarded their flight. Mr Isom said 75 per cent of countries American Airlines serves do not have testing requirements. Now he uses this experience and knowledge to help others through Running with Miles. A spokesperson for the Centre For Disease Control said the decision was made on the basis of high vaccine uptake and widespread population immunity. If you do test positive and can afford to delay your departure, isolating where you are can help protect others from the virus. Airline Virgin Atlantic welcomed the decision, predicting a boost in consumer confidence.. The US will drop its requirement for international air travellers to test negative for Covid-19 before entering the country following heavy pressure from airlines and the travel industry, a number of media outlets reported on Friday. The White House press secretary at that time said she was not aware of a timeline for ending the pre-departure testing requirement and that the administration would be basing any decisions on a recommendation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC will do a reassessment of this decision in 90 days, the official said. Images Courtesy of Getty Images. Paul Hackett, president of the Irish Travel Agents' Association, said it was "really good news". This article. If cruise is already ahead of the curve when it comes to Covid (nearly 100% vaccinated), there's no need to keep kowtowing to the CDC. We also now have effective treatments for COVID-19 such as antivirals Paxlovid and molnupiravir which can reduce the risk that someone with a coronavirus infection will become severely ill. But were continuing to see demand come in, Raja said when asked about the business recovery. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients told a press conference on Tuesday that the Biden administration has no plans to either ease or lift pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers heading to the United States. However, overall international passenger capacity will fully recover in the second quarter driven by the addition of flights to nearby destinations like the Caribbean and Mexico. The experience of Omicron has made it clear that travel restrictions have little to no impact in terms of preventing its spread. WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - Major U.S. airlines, business and travel groups and other companies urged the White House on Thursday to abandon COVID-19 pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated international passengers traveling to the United States. } "Given the slow economic recovery of the business and international travel sectors, and in light of medical advancements and the improved public health metrics in the U.S., we encourage you to immediately remove the inbound testing requirement for vaccinated air travelers," said the letter signed by American Airlines (AAL.O), Carnival Corp (CCL.N), Marriott International (MAR.O), Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Disney Parks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Travel Association and others. Though the United States is dropping its pre-departure testing requirement for returning international travelers, people can still take steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and new variants. In December, the Biden administration imposed tougher new rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel. Once that first letter was issued, other institutions in the travel industry followed suit. Mein Nisinta Seirbhse Poibl na hireann. Long-haul international demand at American had recovered to 60 percent of 2019 levels in March, CEO Robert Isom said Thursday. With a recent survey showing that a majority of travelers wanting the pre-departure Covid test removed, the US says that is not happening. Dong-Yan Jin, a virology professor at Hong Kong University, agreed. Removing the pre-departure testing requirement for fully vaccinated travelers will greatly support the recovery of travel and aviation in the US and globally Last updated on 2023/02/26 As we approach the two-year mark of this pandemic, many are asking where we are going to go collectively as we continue to deal with this virus. Sent to me today via email and sums up my viewpoint, too: "I agree with CLIA - seems unnecessary/an overstep, against societal trends, and overly complicated. People that are not vaccinated will never get it! "This means that the last remaining barrier to fully opening the US market for international travel is now lifted," she said. The Most Expensive Ultra Marathon Ever - $21,000, WHAT?! The mask mandate is currently set to expire on April 18 (unless it is extended once again) but the pre-departure testing rules dont have any immediate expiry date. When the policy was first introduced, the CDC said pre-departure testing does not eliminate all risk. However, when combined with other measures, such as wearing face masks, social distancing and improved air filtration, testing can reduce the spread of the virus, the agency said. The challenge with the pre-departure testing requirement is there is no enforcement or consistency in the application of how to report on compliance to the airline so they just wave people through if they flash up their phone with what vaguely looks like a pass. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Many countries dropped the pre-flight testing requirement for vaccinated travelers or all travelers, including the unvaccinated months ago, leaving the United States the large exception. The CDC will reassess its decision after 90 days. "Today marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States," Mr Dow said. And fuel expenses are forecast to jump at least another 28 percent compared with the first quarter. However, with the new variant now prevalent across the country, ministers are expected to scrap the controversial test. This type of in-flight transmission has been seen with both COVID-19 and SARS, which was caused by a similar coronavirus in 2002 to 2004. While cases spiked heavily over the holiday season, hospitalizations remain at a high point as we pass this Omicron wave. The change is certain to be a welcome one for travelers and the industry as a whole, which has lobbied for months against requirement. All rights reserved. In response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, in December 2021 the CDC reduced this window to one day. Plus, in my experience, the lines of people waiting to have their documents checked is actually the most packed in area of any airport I have been in not exactly something that works if you want people to be separated a distance of 2 meters! Only 10% said they would be less likely would 46% saying it wont affect their travel plans either way. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. More than 74.3 million people -- meaning at least 22% of the US population -- have had COVID-19, and that is almost certainly an undercount owing to asymptomatic infections and limited testing early in the pandemic. Posted on Last updated: February 10, 2022 Categories Travel, Travel News. No spam, just a weekly roundup of the best aviation news that you don't want to miss. Yes, because the fact that the US left has installed a moronic and senile puppet into office is the reason why we are where we are. We believe the U.S. can safely follow countries that have moved away from pre-departure testing, American Chief Government Affairs Officer Nate Gatten said during the airlines first-quarter earnings call Thursday. F15558_sb_requiredFields.push('F15558_sb_feedid'); Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 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