Airline groups urge US CDC to reconsider Ebola declaration requirements

Major American and foreign airlines urged the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reconsider new rules requiring all US-bound travelers to attest they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the prior 21 days.
The International Air Transport Association and Airlines for America, in separate previously unreported letters reviewed by Reuters, urged the CDC to reconsider the plan announced last week that takes effect on November 3 and is aimed at preventing entry by people exposed to Ebola.
“It is unreasonable for the U.S. government to require all airlines serving the U.S. market to modify their procedures to accommodate the collection of attestations from each individual flying to the United States in less than two weeks,” IATA, which represents over 370 member airlines in more than 130 countries, said in the letter dated Tuesday.
The new CDC order requires all US-bound airline passengers and crew members to file digital or paper attestations. The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.