Key facts
- Airlines are urging the CDC to reconsider new rules requiring attestations from travelers regarding recent travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The new rules require all US-bound passengers and crew to file digital or paper attestations.
- Airlines for America stated the plan is unworkable and cannot be implemented in the allotted time.
- IATA questioned the exclusion of other transportation modes from the mandate.
- The Ebola outbreak has killed about 4,700 people in Africa.
Major US and international airline groups have formally requested the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reconsider new regulations requiring all travelers bound for the United States to attest that they have not recently traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airlines for America, which represents major US carriers, sent letters to the CDC expressing concerns that the new rules, set to take effect on November 3, are unworkable and overly burdensome. The CDC's order mandates that all passengers and crew on flights to the US must submit digital or paper attestations regarding their travel history. Airlines argue that implementing these changes across check-in systems and training procedures within the given timeframe is not feasible. They also question the exclusion of other transportation methods from the mandate, given the CDC's assessment of high risk for Ebola importation. The Ebola outbreak, specifically the Bundibugyo strain, has resulted in approximately 4,700 confirmed deaths in Africa.