Managers said the required logistical challenges would pose.
U.S. airlines are returning to the possibility of COVID-19 testing before domestic flights, after the Biden government said it wanted to “actively watch” to make it a requirement.
“It would mean that we Americans have to test on planes that we all know are safe to be,” Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines, said during the carrier’s Q4 earnings call.
Managers of Southwest and JetBlue reflected the sentiment, explaining that a local test requirement would be too expensive and would present logistical challenges. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said on Wednesday that the conversation was “continuing” and that the agency was “actively looking into it”.
The domestic testing would be extended to the mandatory requirement of the government for travelers in the US that went into effect on Tuesday. All travelers flying to the US must now provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, which was not taken more than three days before their flight, or they will not board.
In Thursday’s revenue call, American Airlines said this new requirement has hampered demand for its short-haul flight, particularly to Mexico and other Caribbean beach destinations.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said his airline would work with the government if they set up domestic tests, but expressed concern that such a requirement could disrupt the already volatile demand.
“We want to make sure it’s something that would not limit demand,” Parker said. “No one has officially spoken to us about it – and if they do, we will do our best to make sure we emphasize how safe it is to fly.”
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said in an investor call that the focus should be on the continued explosion of the vaccine and asked, “why are you opting for air travel?”
“In the first place, we do not have sufficient testing capacity for the country,” Kelly said. “It’s just unrealistic to expect us to be able to test efficiently and effectively on a larger scale.”
JetBlue president Joanna Geraghty said this in a call on Thursday, saying: “Honestly, we are concerned that it will reduce the capacity for some people who have to legally test for health reasons.”
It also comes as public health officials warn Americans against travel. Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said: “It’s not a good idea to travel, period.”
“If you absolutely have to travel and it’s essential, you will have to do it, of course. But we do not want people to think because they have been vaccinated that other recommendations on public health simply do not apply,” Fauci said. a CNN City Hall.
ABC News’s Mina Kaji and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.