Canada: Airlines call on federal government to delay rollout of pre-departure COVID-19 tests

Just days before the government is set to roll out mandatory pre-departure COVID-19 testing for travellers returning to Canada, the CEOs of the country's largest airlines are calling on Transport Minister Marc Garneau to delay the rollout until later this month. The heads of Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Sunwing — along with two major trade associations, the IATA and National Airlines Council of Canada — recently sent a letter to Garneau warning him that the federal government's timeline for implementing the testing protocol isn't feasible. The carriers are proposing that the new rules — due to take effect on Thursday — should instead kick in on January 18. "Minister, we have very serious concerns about the feasibility of successfully implementing such a significant measure in the extremely short time[frame] announced, without consultation or a coordinated plan," reads the letter to Garneau. The government announced the new testing regime last week, following multiple reports of individual Canadians — including political figures — travelling abroad for the holidays in defiance of government advisories against non-essential travel. Airlines say they weren't consulted about the new policy before it was announced. In their letter to Garneau, they argue the new rules create a "real risk that Canadians will now be stranded abroad" and say they've heard from thousands of Canadians alarmed by the possibility.<br/>