The Biden administration announced on Friday that the US will no longer require a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test to enter the country, reports USA Today. As of 12:01 am EST on Sunday, travelers no longer need to take a viral coronavirus test one day before boarding their flight; the rule applied to all travelers, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, although it had granted exemptions to those who recently recovered from COVID-19 and children under two years old. The decision came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined the requirement is no longer needed, although it will be reassessed in 90 days and on an ongoing basis. Full vaccination against COVID-19 remains a requirement for travelers entering the US by land or ferry. In a reaction to the decision, Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas Calio stated, “Lifting this policy will help encourage and restore air travel to the United States, benefiting communities across the country that rely heavily on travel and tourism to support their local economies. We are eager to welcome the millions of travelers who are ready to come to the US for vacation, business, and reunions with loved ones."

UK airlines have been told to cancel flights they can't deliver this summer, in a bid to avoid a repeat of the tens of thousands of passengers affected by airline delays and cancellations last month, reports the BBC. The decision came in a joint letter on Tuesday from the UK government and the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority, which told airlines to ensure their summer timetables were "deliverable" and noted that cancelling flights earlier was "better" than doing so at the last minute. The letter outlined "specific expectations" for the sector, stating, "Your schedules must be based on the resources you and your contractors expect to have available, and should be resilient for the unplanned and inevitable operational challenges that you will face.” The letter also required airlines to "keep consumers informed" about their rights during disruption. Multiple airlines have apologized for the problems, citing staffing shortages due to jobs that were cut earlier during the pandemic, along with current security clearance delays for new hires and a rapid ramp-up of travel demand. 

American Airlines has introduced a new business-class fare product to its offerings, reports Travel Weekly. The newly dubbed Flagship Business Plus offers American's standard in-flight business class service but also has enhanced perks on the ground. Those perks include a third checked bag, access to private Flagship First check-in areas complete with expedited security screening, and access to Flagship First sit-down dining in Flagship Lounges. Flagship Business Plus travelers also gain access to the American’s arrivals lounge at London Heathrow airport. Flagship First check-in is available at Chicago O'Hare, Miami, Los Angeles International (LAX), New York-JFK, and London Heathrow. Flagship First dining, currently available at Dallas/Fort Worth, JFK, and Miami airports. Flagship Business Plus tickets are now available for select international and transcontinental flights.

Kenya Airways PLC and Delta Air Lines have expanded their strategic partnership to increased flights within Africa and additional markets within North America. The new agreement increases travel options to 25 cities across the US and Canada and 19 cities in Africa. Kenya Airways will add its code on Delta flights from New York-JFK to Boston, Buffalo, Norfolk, Rochester, and Syracuse for customers flying nonstop from Nairobi to New York-JFK. In turn, Delta will add its code to Kenya Airways' additional frequencies between Accra, Ghana, and Freetown, Sierra Leone; Monrovia, Liberia; and Nairobi, Kenya. Travelers will be able to connect from Delta's New York-JFK to Accra flights with one ticket; checked-through baggage and benefits will apply for loyalty program members for the additional services. Both Kenya Airways and Delta are members of the SkyTeam Alliance, which enables frequent flyers to earn and redeem miles on both airlines, while Elite Plus travelers can benefit from Sky Priority services.

Lufthansa has launched a new route to Frankfurt, Germany, from St. Louis, marking the city's first direct route to Europe in more than 20 years, reports Travel Weekly. As of June 1, the new St. Louis service operates three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flights are on an Airbus A330-300 in a three-class configuration, which includes 42 Business Class, 28 Premium Economy, and 185 Economy Class seats to accommodate 255 passengers. With the launch of this new route, Lufthansa Group carriers will now operate to 25 gateways in the US with approximately 360 weekly flights during the current summer schedule. Frank Naeve, Vice President of Sales, Lufthansa Group Passenger Airlines for The Americas, stated, "The United States remains our most important market outside of the Group's home markets, and we could not be happier to add more opportunities and capacity into and out of the US." This is the carrier's first new destination since 2019.