Major Airlines Announce Support for Int'l Contact Tracing Program

Airlines for America (A4A) has announced that its member passenger carriers have pledged support for the implementation of a so-called 'voluntary' international contact tracing program that is likely to displease those concerned about further invasions of personal privacy.

Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines commit to collecting contact tracing data from passengers traveling into the United States and transmitting that data to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as an additional layer of protection for the traveling public.

To 'enhance' the existing efforts to share necessary contact tracing information, carriers have agreed to ask customers to voluntarily provide the following key elements to aid the CDC as they support local public health authorities conducting contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Legal name;
• Two phone numbers;
• Email address; and
• The address of where travelers will be staying in the US or address of permanent residence in the US

"The implementation of a contact tracing program for international passengers is yet another measure in our multi-layered approach to mitigate risk and assure the traveling public that both U.S. airlines and the federal government are prioritizing the health and safety of passengers and crew," said Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio.

"We are hopeful that this measure, coupled with existing testing requirements for passengers flying to the U.S., will lead policymakers to lift travel restrictions so that international travel can resume and the social and economic benefits of that travel can be realized."

Little has been said about concerns for privacy, the invasive nature of such a program and/or what will happen if flyers decide they do not want to disclose this info.

FMI: www.AirlinesTakeAction.com