Airline trade group Airlines for America (A4A) backed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that the US ditch blanket travel restrictions in favor of a mandatory testing regime for all arrivals, reports Skift. If the US adopts the CDC recommendation, it would be the largest country so far to implement mandatory testing on international travelers. Testing rules would apply to all international arriving travelers, as well as replace blanket restrictions on travelers from Brazil, Europe and the UK, wrote A4A President and CEO Nicholas Calio. He called such a regime a “more effective way” of controlling the spread of COVID-19. In addition, the industry recommended a 14-day implementation timeline in order to notify flyers and train staff on the new requirements. A testing-based approach to international travel is seen by many as key to reopening borders. The trade group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for this since at least October. Such a move is seen as critical for global carriers that rely primarily on international travel to restart flights and begin recovering from the crisis.

The Canadian government has announced that pre-departure COVID-19 testing and proof of negative results will now be mandatory for all air travelers arriving in Canada beginning January 7, 2021, reports Airport Technology. The aim of the mandatory COVID-19 testing is to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Canada. Despite the new rules, air travelers will still have to submit to the compulsory 14-day quarantine period before being permitted to move freely around the country. Within 72 hours of their departure, all travelers above the age of five will be required to take a coronavirus molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Before boarding, travelers must present their negative test results, with written or electronic proof, to the airlines. The test must be provided by an accredited lab or an "external organization" like a local government, stated the Canadian government on its website. In the absence of a negative PCR test, travelers will not be allowed to board flights within Canada, unless otherwise exempt.

As we enter 2021, the recent arrival of multiple COVID-19 vaccines has many travelers eager to start traveling safely and confidently again. As of today, public health and safety policy continues to be decided at the state, and even jurisdictional, levels. Close to half of the country’s states have instituted some form of restriction on travelers entering from out of state, whether they be quarantine, testing requirements or some combination of both, in hopes of preventing the spread of fresh infection from outside their borders. It is important for travelers to be updated on the latest statewide regulations. While some US states have no restrictions on travel, all their sites have important COVID-19 safety information, including possible face mask mandates in public settings. States without travel restrictions might still have mask mandates. Click "Read More" below for a comprehensive list of state-specific travel restrictions and safety mandates currently in place across the US as assembled by CNN.

Delta Air Lines announced that it will be adding a new in-flight Wi-Fi provider, Viasat, as well as launching a new Delta Wi-Fi access portal with a new interface, as it continues to take steps to improve its customer experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Travel Market Report. The switch will be made during the summer, with Viasat installation coinciding with the delivery of new aircraft to the Delta fleet. While Delta said that the move would improve customer experience in-flight with higher speed and better capability onboard, including better streaming and more personalized content in the in-flight entertainment options, it also continues Delta’s mission of delivering free Wi-Fi in the future. “We are committed to delivering Free Wi-Fi in the future, and this is a significant step on that journey,” Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Delta’s director of brand experience for in-flight entertainment said in a Q&A announcing the news.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 18.8 million people at the nation’s airports over the Christmas and New Year holidays, the highest number of travelers screened over any three-week period since the pandemic began, reports Airline Weekly. Although the number of travelers screened between December 18, 2020-January 4, 2021 was the largest since March, traffic was a fraction of what it was during the same period last year, when 42.3 million travelers went through airport checkpoints. Holiday traffic was up significantly in sharp contrast to the pandemic travel low point in April, when only 1.8 million passed through TSA checkpoints during a three-week period, April 6-23, 2020.

American Airlines has announced changes to its policies and procedures for travel with emotional support animals and service animals, aligning with regulations recently issued by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). According to the carrier, the new policies and procedures are intended to support travelers with disabilities and the service animals that travel with them, as well as the team members who work to keep travelers safe. The DOT’s new rule defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability. When the rule goes into effect January 11th, American will no longer authorize new travel for animals that do not meet that definition, such as emotional support animals. Existing bookings involving emotional support animals will be honored through February 1st, when the airline’s new policies go into effect. Animals that previously traveled as emotional support animals and no longer qualify as service animals may travel as carry-on pets or as cargo pets, as long as they meet the requirements. American joins Alaskan Airlines as one of two current US carriers to update its service animal policies.