According to Reuters, the move will take effect for air travelers bound for the US on Sunday at midnight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reportedly determined that science and data mean that testing is no longer necessary. It will reconsider the decision after three months. The travel industry had been pushing for months against the curfew, which took effect in January 2021. The official said the Biden government plans to work with airlines to ensure a smooth transition. The travel industry, as well as some scholars and lawmakers, including Democrats, had criticized the requirement, saying it was no longer necessary. As of December, the CDC requires travelers to be negative within one day prior to flights to the United States, but no land border controls are required. The official said, “If there is a need to restore a pre-departure test requirement – including due to a new, relevant variant – the CDC will not hesitate to act.” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told a conference last week that the test requirements were “stupid” and “depressing” for leisure and business travel. Airlines have said that many Americans do not travel internationally due to concerns that they will be positive and will be excluded abroad. Isom said 75% of the countries served by American Airlines have no test requirements. “We are really disappointed. And this is something that hurts not only travel to the US. “It just doesn’t make sense,” Isom said last week. In December, the CDC stepped up requirements for international airline travelers to take a negative test within one day rather than three days after arriving in the United States.
