American Airlines Wants U.S. to Drop International Flyer Covid Test Requirements
Photo Credit: American says pre-departure testing rules for travelers to the U.S. hinder the international recovery. Skift / Edward Russell
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American Airlines considers pre-departure testing rules for U.S.-bound travelers the biggest hindrance to its international recovery. And while executives won't say if they will go away in May, they are bullish about a surge in both leisure and business travel.
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.
“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 airline’s first-quarter earnings call Thursday. He did not offer a timeline for when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could drop the rule, though Wall Street analysts suggested a potential May date.
The testing requirement is widely viewed as a deterrent to a full international recovery by airlines and others in the travel industry. 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. Many other countries, including Canada and the UK, have dropped testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers.
