U.S. Airlines Fear ‘Crushing’ Blow From Possible Domestic Travel Testing Requirements
Photo Credit: The U.S. is considering mandating a negative Covid-19 test for all domestic air travelers. United Airlines / Courtesy of United Airlines
Skift Take
The eagerly awaited recovery in air travel that airlines have talked up may arrive late to the gate if the U.S. mandates negative Covid-19 tests for all domestic air travelers. The potential move could set back recovery efforts underway in the beleaguered industry.
U.S airlines were just beginning to sound optimistic about the year ahead, talking about a tipping point in the travel recovery when Americans feel comfortable to fly en masse again.
Those prognoses may have come a little too soon. On Tuesday, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the agency was "actively looking" at the possibility of mandatory Covid-19 tests for U.S. domestic air travel.
“There’s been a dramatic evolution and increase in both testing platforms and testing capacity," Dr. Marty Cetron, director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at CDC, told reporters according to Reuters. "I think this is a really important part of our toolkit to combat this pandemic."
The potential testing requirements come as the
