U.S Opens Borders after 18 Months for Vaccinated Passengers from Europe

U.S has reopened its borders to 33 countries after 18 months which were previously barred due to Covid restrictions. Airlines are seeing an influx of passengers entering the U.S as travel becomes easier.

On Monday, it was announced that non-Americans who are vaccinated from restricted countries in Europe can now travel to the U.S as long as they provide proof of vaccination with a negative PCR test. The PCR test must have been taken no more than 3 days before travel dates. According to the U.S Travel Association, the list of banned countries accounted for 53% of foreign visitors coming to the U.S.

During the Trump presidency, Europeans were banned to travel as strict travel restrictions were put in place to curb the pandemic. This caused many families to remain separated and also affected business activity especially for airlines which saw sales plummet. United Airlines Holdings has said the lifting of the travel ban should show a 50% boost in international inbound passengers. On the other hand, Delta Air Lines Inc said it saw a 450% increase in foreign bookings.

Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said, “This is the start of a new era for travel and for many people around the world who have not been able to see loved ones for almost two years. While we have seen many countries reopen their borders to American visitors over the summer, our international customers have not been able to fly with us or visit the U.S. All of that changes now.”

British Airways will resume 26 U.S-bound flights starting on Monday which will take passengers to 17 different destinations in the country. Despite flights becoming operational between the U.S and other countries, the airline industry has a long way to go to fully recover from the pandemic-era loss.

©Photo: cntraveler.com