Airlines Urge CDC to Delay or Scrap New Inbound Passenger Declaration Mandate for Ebola

An Ebola outbreak that has surpassed 10,000 cases worldwide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is causing concern for airlines in the U.S.

Starting Nov. 3, all passengers flying inbound to the United States will be required to sign a declaration confirming they have not been in the DRC over the past 21 days.

The new mandate, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), comes in response to a severe Ebola outbreak overseas and applies to everyone flying into or connecting through the U.S.-including American citizens.

The mandate means that all travelers will have to complete a digital form stating they haven’t been to the DRC within the last 21 days, and airlines will be tasked with collecting and retaining the forms for weeks after the flight.

Airlines for America (A4A), which represents most major U.S. carriers, along with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), are pleading with the CDC to scrap or delay the requirement.

IATA, which represents more than 370 airlines across the world, said in a statement that the requirement is an “unreasonable” burden on carriers and pointed out that no other form of travel, including land crossings or maritime travel, is included in the mandate.

A4A said there is not enough time for airlines to put the necessary collection process in place. The additional steps, including new training for airline staff to handle the signatures, “cannot be completed in the allotted time,” the group said, according to Reuters.

The pushback comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a total of 9,637 confirmed cases of the rare Bundibugyo virus in Congo, 4,646 of which have resulted in death. Government data shows total infections have now surpassed 10,000 in what has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.