Delta Says Covid Entry Testing Will End Soon

Delta Airlines expects that the Biden administration will soon drop the pre-departure Covid testing requirement for flyers entering the U.S. 

“Hopefully that gets rolled back in the next few weeks. We are hearing good things from Washington,” Delta president Glen Hauenstein told analysts during the company’s first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. 

Delta chief legal officer Peter Carter backed his statement and added that the airline is in regular touch with the administration. 

“We are getting a strong indication that pre-departure testing will be phased out in the near future, which is quite encouraging,” Carter said. 

The U.S. travel industry, including airlines, has been calling for the testing requirement to be eliminated.  Industry advocates argue that the requirement no longer serves a meaningful public health purpose, but it does place the U.S. at a disadvantage in generating visitor traffic compared to countries such as the U.K. and Canada, which have eliminated pre-entry testing. 

Hauenstein also said that the requirement continues to impact international travel demand among U.S. residents, with some worrying about the potential of getting stuck abroad if they test positive for the virus. 

Hauenstein said he believes the elimination of the requirement is one of the final barriers for Delta in terms of putting the pandemic in its rearview. Other remaining hurdles include continued entry prohibitions in place in Japan and China. 

U.S. Mask Mandate Extended
On Wednesday (April 13, 2022), The Biden administration has also extended the federal mask mandate for airlines and other mass transportation for another two weeks. The mandate had been set to expire on April 18, but the new expiration date is May 3. 

The decision comes amid rising Covid-19 case counts in the U.S., fueled by the BA.2 omicron subvariant, which now makes up 85% of Covid cases in the U.S., the TSA said in a statement. 

“During the 15-day extension period, CDC will assess the potential impact the recent rise of Covid-19 cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations, deaths, and healthcare system capacity,” the TSA said. “TSA will continue to coordinate closely with CDC and communicate any changes to this requirement with the public.”

Airlines and the U.S. Travel Association have called for an end to the federal mask mandate.