Major U.S. and international airlines are opposing a new Ebola-related travel requirement that will affect millions of people traveling to the United States.
Starting November 3, all passengers on international flights bound for the United States will be required to confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the previous 21 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This requirement applies to anyone arriving or connecting through the United States, including U.S. citizens, green card holders and airline crew members, the CDC said.
Travelers will need to complete a paper or digital declaration before boarding, even if they have never visited the DRC.
Airlines must collect the forms and keep them for at least 42 days after the flight arrives in the United States, according to the CDC.
Airlines for America (A4A), which represents major carriers including American, Delta, Southwest, United and JetBlue, is asking the CDC to reconsider the requirement and give airlines more time to prepare, according to an Oct. 26 letter provided to Fox News Digital.
The group said it supports the CDC’s public health goals, but argued that the new requirement is too broad and is being introduced too quickly.
A4A called on the government for a “more proportionate and measured U.S. response,” focused more closely on affected areas and travelers who have recently visited them.
The group also requested that the Nov. 3 start date be delayed.
“Changes to check-in systems, digital signatures, station procedures and training cannot be completed within the required time frame,” A4A wrote.
Dr. Tyler Evans, a California-based infectious disease physician and CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, told Fox News Digital, “It was a step in the right direction, given that we really need to take this seriously. We need to make sure that this doesn’t cross borders.”
He added: “This is the second largest Ebola outbreak in history. So it’s very serious.”
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 370 airlines around the world, has also asked the CDC to reconsider the requirement, Reuters reported.
“It is unreasonable for the U.S. government to require all airlines serving the U.S. market to change their procedures to allow the collection of certifications from every individual (passenger and crew) flying to the United States in less than two weeks,” IATA wrote in a letter, according to Reuters.
A4A also asks the CDC to exempt airline crew members, arguing that existing aviation documents already contain information about crews and their travel.
The group also requested an exemption for U.S. military passenger charter flights, saying the military already monitors the health, safety and movement of service members.
The CDC said the requirement was intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the United States by air.
The 21-day period reflects the maximum time it takes for symptoms to appear after exposure.
Anyone who has been in the DRC during this period, including travelers who only transited through an airport in that country, will not be allowed to board a flight to the United States unless they have a government exemption, the CDC said.
“Some of the first symptoms would just be flu-like symptoms. You’ll have a high fever, you’ll feel kind of tired,” the doctor explained.
“(For) people who… are asymptomatic, being able to screen is a very effective modality for reducing, preventing or mitigating onward transmission,” Evans said.
Evans has worked on the Ebola response twice in the past, in West Africa and the DRC, the two largest outbreaks in history.
“The reality is that Ebola is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and has one of the highest mortality rates,” Evans said.
But Americans often don’t view Ebola as a problem for them, he said. “When it comes to infectious diseases… microbes don’t respect borders.”
Travelers who knowingly provide false information could face prosecution and fines, according to the CDC.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CDC and IATA for further information and comment.
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