The travel industry calls out…
Is the government listening?
The travel industry wants change…
Is the government listening?
Top officials from American, Delta, Southwest, United and other airlines have urged the Biden Administration to eliminate the federal mask mandate on airplanes and in airports and remove the international pre-departure testing requirement for U.S. inbound travelers.
The U.S. Travel Association also renewed its calls for the phasing out of pandemic-era restrictions in a letter to the White House.
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“Considering the improved public health metrics in the U.S. and medical advancements to prevent the worst outcomes of COVID-19, the federal mask mandate and pre-departure testing no longer fits with the current environment,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said.
Meanwhile, a group of flight attendants sue the CDC for the mask mandate, and a group of pilots also filed suit against the CDC. The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has also been calling for these rules to be removed.
Will the change come?
Or does this continued push back against the government once again go ignored?
I fully expect the mask mandate to remain in place through its current April 18 deadline. From there, it shouldn’t be renewed, but who knows what will happen. Nothing will surprise me.
Will the testing rule to enter the U.S. end at the same time as the mask mandate? They certainly seemed to be tied together at this point.
Other destinations and airlines across the pond have already removed these though. It’s time we do the same in the U.S.
What say you? Let me know on Twitter and Instagram: @EricBowman_
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