U.S. lifts Covid travel ban, braces for international travel surge

The United States is likely to witness a surge in the number of inbound travelers and arrivals, as a majority of the globe’s population would be allowed to enter the country for the first time since March 2020, after the nation had closed its borders for international travel to control the spread of the virus.

Rival airlines Virgin Atlantic and British Airways will operate a synchronized flight from Heathrow to celebrate the long-awaited end of the international travel ban.

Flight schedules have been scaled up to cater the increased travel demand across the Atlantic.

Non-US citizens travelling from around 33 countries, including the China, South Africa, India, Iran, the UK, Brazil, Ireland and Europe’s Schengen nations, have been covered by the international travel ban. The rules will be lifted starting Monday, however, adults need to be fully vaccinated to enter the U.S.

The British Airways chief executive, Sean Doyle, mentioned that the reopening of U.S. borders was time for celebration after over 600 days of separation.

Doyle added that, Transatlantic connectivity is crucial for economic recovery of U.K., which is why they have been seeking safe reopening of the U.K.-U.S. travel corridor for so long, and that they should now be optimistic, bring trade and tourism back to normal and allow everyone to connect once again.

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive, Shai Weiss, stated that U.S. has been their heartland for over 37 years, and they have been working to fly to destinations including Boston, Orlando, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and are thrilled to fly their customers safely to their favorite cities to reconnect with their family and friends.

Many international flights are likely to be full throughout the coming weeks. In this context, Delta Air Lines chief, Ed Bastian, warned travelers to prepare for longer queues at the airports as restrictions ease.

Under the new rules, foreign passengers arriving by air are required to provide proof of either a negative Covid test, done no more than three days before travel, or that they have fully recovered from coronavirus in last three months.

There are limited exemptions for travelers who are not fully vaccinated.

Source credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/us-travel-covid-border-reopen-b1953214.html