A4A, industry advocating to reopen international travel

Airlines for America joined labor and travel industry groups in urging the Biden administration to partner with stakeholders to set standards to prepare to reopen international travel. The letter advocates for standardization on digital health passes, recommends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines be updated to state that vaccinated people can safely travel and develop a roadmap to lift international travel restrictions. “We are ready to welcome back travelers and keep them safe. And the time to plan for and chart a defined roadmap to reopen international travel is now,” the groups said in the letter. The coalition also stressed they would not support easing public health protections, stating “at this time, we do not support removal or easing of core public health protections, such as the universal mask mandate, inbound international testing requirement, physical distancing or other measures that have made travel safer and reduced transmission of the virus.”