NATA’s regulatory team is working with the CDC, FAA, and other organizations to provide members access to timely pandemic guidance, resources, and supplies for continued and efficient operations. Please review the following updates and contact NATA at covid@nata.aero with any questions or comments. As always, we thank you for your support and engagement.
Tell NATA About COVID Testing
To better assist our members with COVID testing supply needs, please contact Ryan Waguespack at ryanw@nata.aero with the following information:
- Name of organization
- If your organization is currently conducting COVID testing of employees/passengers
- How often are you testing for COVID
- If you are not currently conducting testing, how often would you test if supplies were available to you
Any information on the number of tests conducted on a regular basis would be helpful in NATA’s efforts to secure access to testing supplies.
CDC to Require Aircraft Operators to Collect Contact Information from Passengers from DRC and Guinea | Effective Date March 4, 2021
Starting Thursday, March 4, 2021, airlines AND other aircraft operators will be required to collect and transmit contact information to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for all passengers who were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or the Republic of Guinea within 21 days before boarding a flight to the United States. The information will be used for appropriate public health follow-up and intervention in response to current outbreaks of the Ebola Virus Disease (Ebola) in DRC and Guinea.
This order follows the February 2020 interim final rule that authorized the CDC to require aircraft operators to collect certain data from passengers before they board a flight to the United States, and provide the information to the CDC within 24 hours. The traveler information required by the CDC includes: full name, address while in the U.S., primary contact phone number, secondary or emergency contact phone number, and email address. The order states that aircraft operators will collect this information and submit it electronically. NATA is participating in discussions on how and where the data will be submitted and will provide additional details in the coming days. Please note, crewmember data should also be collected and made available upon request.
The U.S. government will also redirect air passengers from DRC and Guinea to six U.S. airports where over 96% of air passengers from these countries already arrive: New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), Atlanta (ATL), Washington, D.C. (IAD), Newark (EWR), and Los Angeles (LAX). Passengers can expect their contact information to be verified by U.S. government officials on arrival to ensure it is accurate and complete. CDC will share contact information securely with state and local health departments for passengers’ final destinations in the United States.
Read the CDC announcement here and the order here.
FAA Provides Briefing Card Resource to Address Disruptive Passengers
The FAA provided NATA and other industry partners a briefing card resource to assist in complying with Federal laws related to assault or threats to aircraft crew, interference with the performance of crewmember duties, and crewmember instruction, including direction to wear face masks while onboard an aircraft.