US airlines urge White House to lift predeparture testing, mask mandate

Airlines for America has urged the Biden administration “to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions,” including the mask mandate and predeparture testing requirements for international travel, that are “no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment.” CEOs from the leading U.S. airlines cited the safety of airline cabin filtration and the widespread availability of vaccines and therapeutics as a strong foundation for lifting the now-outdated regulations implemented in response to COVID-19.