The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international air travelers to the U.S. take a COVID-19 test within a day before boarding their flights, easing one of the last remaining government mandates meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Airlines got billions in federal COVID-19 aid over the past year, but consumer advocates and two senators say the companies are sitting on nearly $15 billion in refunds owed for canceled travel.
Amid a sudden surge in demand for domestic travel, especially to beach destinations and national parks, decimated airlines are adding service to new markets as they try to inch back to profitability.
In hopes of jumpstarting a business decimated by the pandemic, airlines and airports are offering preflight, on-the-spot testing for the coronavirus, with some test results back in 15 minutes.
