Virgin Atlantic hails US ditching Covid-19 tests
Virgin Atlantic saluted the US scrapping of Covid-19 testing for inbound travelers.
After months of concerted pressure from the travel industry it came into force on Sunday at midnight, an official said.
“It will boost consumer confidence even further and support the rebound in transatlantic travel this summer,” the airline said.
“Virgin is offering a full roster of US destinations, including our brand new London Heathrow – Austin service.”
The US administration eased restrictions, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The CDC will review the decision after three months.
“If there is a need to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement – including due to a new, concerning variant – CDC will not hesitate to act,” the official said.
According to the official, said the government will work with airlines this weekend to make it a smooth transition.
The travel industry has repeatedly said the negative test requirement has hampered the recovery of it inbound tourism.
The rule was put in place in early 2021 and then tightened by the Biden administration, to show proof of a negative test within a day departure.
It had already been dropped for land border crossings.
“We can’t wait to see more of our customers flying with us to the US this summer,” Virgin Atlantic added.
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