Why US Airlines Aren't Happy About New 21 Day Ebola Rules For Passengers

Published Oct 30, 2026, 6:54 AM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Airlines in the United States of America are taking issue with the country's new rules and regulations regarding passengers returning from Ebola-affected areas. As of next week, all passengers flying back to the US on an international service will have to confirm that they have not been in certain hotspots within the last three weeks. This applies regardless of where in the world their flights is originating. While airlines are supportive of the CDC's measures to prevent the spread of Ebola, they have taken issue with the quick turnaround of the new rules, with a major airline advocacy group arguing that the necessary logistics and administration will not be ready by next week. With this in mind, major US carriers are hoping that the CDC will delay the rollout of its new rules, giving them enough time to prepare. What Are The New Rules? Credit: Adam McCullough | Shutterstock Last week, the CDC confirmed that its new rules regarding flyers coming to the US from Ebola-affected areas would come into effect at 11:59 PM EST on November 3, 2026. Thereafter, it explains that "passengers boarding an international flight to the US (...) must attest (sign a statement) that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the 21 days before their flight." While the DRC is being highlighted as the main hotspot, the rules apply to passengers flying on any international service to the US. If they have been in the country within the three weeks before their US-bound flight, they will not be able to enter the nation until the 21 days have elapsed. However, advocacy group Airlines For America (A4A) has taken issue with the timeline, recently telling Fox News that: "Changes to check-in systems, digital signatures, station procedures, and training cannot readily be completed in the allotted time." No Exceptions Credit: Just Dance | Shutterstock As well as foreign passengers visiting the United States, the new rules are also set to apply to US citizens and green card holders, as well as the crew operating these flights, with their statements able to be provided digitally or on paper. In terms of data retention, the CDC is asking airlines to retain these forms for at least six weeks after a flight's arrival in the US. However, airlines want more time. As far as A4A's response to the proposals is concerned, the US airline advocacy group argues that, in addition to the turnaround being too quick, the CDC's rules are also too broad. Instead, according to Fox News, the group wants to see "a more proportionate and measured US response" to the situation, with a specific focus on flyers who have actually been to the areas that have been most impacted by Ebola. After all, should the planned rules be rolled out next week, even passengers who have never been to the DRC will have to sign the attestation form. Of course, this is a small price to pay for the greater good of disease prevention, but IATA argues that "it is unreasonable (...) to require all airlines serving the US to modify their procedures to accommodate the collection of attestations from each individual." Very Few US Flyers Have Links To The DRC Credit: Tada Images | Shutterstock A key reason behind the hesitancy of airlines and airports to subscribe to the new rules is the fact that very few people flying to the US have ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Reuters, of the 130 million people that the United States Customs and Border Protection screened back in 2025, just 25,000 had direct links to the DRC. This represented just one in every 5200, or 0.019%. At the very least, A4A is hoping that its efforts on this front will free crew members and military service personnel from the need to attest to not having been in the DRC in the 21 days before their flight to the US. As it stands, the group considers the plan to be "overly stringent, costly and burdensome to Americans and the US airline industry." It will certainly be interesting to see if and how the CDC alters its plans.