Airline groups push back on Ebola declaration requirements

Airlines in the United States and abroad have urged the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reconsider a new rule requiring all U.S.-bound travelers to attest that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) within the previous 21 days. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airlines for America (A4A) submitted separate letters to the CDC, arguing that the new requirement, set to take effect on November 3, would be impractical to implement.

IATA, which represents over 370 member airlines in more than 130 countries, stated that it is unreasonable for the U.S. government to demand all airlines to modify their procedures for collecting attestations from passengers and crew members in such a short timeframe. A4A, which represents United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, also claimed that the plan is unworkable, citing challenges in changing check-in systems, digital signatures, station procedures, and training.

The CDC has not yet responded to requests for comment. While the CDC screened around 130 million air passengers in 2025, fewer than 25,000 of them had a connection to the DR Congo. IATA questioned why the rule only applied to air travelers and not other modes of transportation. Since May, the CDC had already barred foreign airline passengers who had been in the DR Congo in the prior three weeks.

The outbreak, primarily caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has resulted in approximately 4,700 deaths in Africa to date.