At a time when the airline industry was just starting to see a rebound, the discovery of the Omicron variant is a delicate moment.
The Delta variant of the coronaviruses deterred travelers this summer.
The United States is one of several nations that have banned visitors from South Africa. The Philippines has banned visitors from southern Africa and several European countries, and Israel has closed its borders to all foreign visitors for 14 days.
The international travel recovery has been slower than in the US. The rebound was promised by President Biden's decision to ease longstanding restrictions on foreign travelers. If travel bans continue to spread, hopes for an accelerated international rebound could be dashed.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are the only US airlines that fly out of southern Africa. The administration's ban does not apply to American citizens or lawful permanent residents, so they are not planning to adjust their schedules. There are three weekly flights between Atlanta and South Africa by Delta. United operates five flights a week between Newark and Cape Town, and it has not changed its plans to restart flights between Newark and Cape Town on Wednesday. None of the countries that have announced travel restrictions are major sources of business for the U.S. carriers.
No major American airline has made any substantive changes to procedures because of the variant. All passengers flying into the United States must provide proof of a negative coronaviruses test, with non citizens also required to be fully vaccined.
Air travel in the United States is almost back to normal, even with many businesses still wary of sending employees on work trips. The number of people who were screened at airport security over the past week was 10 percent lower than the same week in 2019. The industry was able to weather the crush of travelers, avoiding the disruptions that occurred at some airlines.
