Airlines issue letter to Buttigieg on COVID-19 recovery

In a letter to Transportation Secretary-designate Pete Buttigieg, Airlines for America urged the new administration to lift travel restrictions, issue COVID-19 testing requirements to restore international travel, and endorsed the creation of the Aviation Recovery Commission to study how to fight coronavirus transmission while supporting the industry’s revival. Airlines “are uniquely positioned to help empower the recovery of our economy, our nation and our communities,” CEO Nicholas Calio wrote, yet “we do not expect volumes to return to pre-pandemic levels before 2024, at the earliest.” Airlines and aviation unions are supportive of Biden’s mandate to require masks on aircraft, which builds on the layers of protection that US airlines have implemented since April 2020.