Delta chief hits out at transatlantic flight restrictions

The head of Delta has expressed frustration with the closure of the US to European visitors, which he said had left transatlantic travel a “one-way” market despite the government being given “all the science why it’s safe”. Airline executives in the US, UK and Europe have lobbied for months for an end to restrictions on international travel. Some European countries have begun admitting US citizens who can show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test, but most UK and European visitors remain banned from the US. “The international markets where US vaccinated travellers can go, particularly in southern Europe, we’ve had really strong booking interest,” said Ed Bastian, Delta CE. “The problem is those markets are only one-way. The White House specifically is not willing to open up the US marketplace to European or UK travellers, which is a source of frustration.” He added: “We have given them all the science why it’s safe . . . but the White House is still concerned with the overall vaccination rate in the country.” The Delta variant of Covid-19 has made it difficult to predict when international travel would return at scale, Bastian said. Routes to Asia are likely to take a year to reopen, with South America off-limits for another six to 12 months and the UK and Europe until early autumn.<br/>