Air France-KLM urges the US to drop travel restrictions on Europeans

The top executive of Air France-KLM, one of the world’s largest airline companies, was thrilled when Europe eased restrictions on American visitors last month. Now, he wants the United States to return the favor. While Europe has largely lifted restrictions on vaccinated American tourists, most Europeans are still barred from visiting the United States even if they have been inoculated against the coronavirus, to the frustration of businesses on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. “What we’re anxiously waiting for is reciprocity on the part of the U.S. government,” the Air France-KLM CE, Benjamin Smith, said this week. “The trans-Atlantic is the most important long-haul market that we have.” The US Chamber of Commerce last week called for the easing of travel restrictions put in place under the Trump administration, saying that the return of European business travelers and tourists would “help drive economic growth and job creation for Americans across the country.” Europe has typically been one of the biggest sources of tourists to the United States, especially to New York and other East Coast destinations. On Wednesday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the administration was considering lifting the ban. “We know people want to come here and people want to travel to other places; we understand that,” Psaki said. She added: “We have these working groups with Canadians, with Europeans, with others to determine the timeline and pace when we can reopen and do it safely.”<br/>