A4A: Pre-departure testing for international vaccinated travellers continues to hinder US air travel

Airlines for America (A4A) issued (31-May-2022) a statement following a White House meeting with the US Travel Association regarding pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated travellers. A4A stated the requirement is "no longer aligned with the current epidemiological environment" and "continues to harm our nation's economy and hinder air travel to the US". A recent survey of A4A member airlines found US airlines would see an increase of 4.3 million international passengers if the requirement was to be lifted. A4A president and CEO Nicholas E Calio stated: "Despite the countless studies affirming that the hospital-grade air onboard aircraft is some of the cleanest available and the significant increase in vaccination rates, the Administration continues to hold air travel to a standard different than land border crossings". Mr Calio added: "There is simply no scientific justification for maintaining the pre-departure testing requirement. It is past time for the US to catch up with the rest of the globe, follow the science and eliminate this pandemic-era barrier to air travel". [more - original PR]