By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – The U.S. Airline Association is pressing the Biden administration for the lifting of a 16-month old rule that requires almost all international flight passengers, with some exceptions, to test positive for COVID-19 in order to enter the country.

Airline executives claim that many Americans don’t travel internationally due to concerns about being positive for a disease in another country. Travelling internationally by American citizens is still down 15% over pre-pandemic levels.

Airlines for America (an industry group) said that Friday’s survey showed that a majority of the carriers surveyed believed dropping testing regulations would result in an extra 4.3 million passengers from abroad and $1.7 billion in incremental revenues. This could also lead to an increase in foreign visitors at 1.075million and visitor spending at $2.1 billion.

Crain’s Chicago Business reported Thursday that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he did not think pre-departure rules “will be there forever” but added lifting them would require the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to be confident “relaxing it would not harm the progress that we’ve made against the virus.”

The CDC did not respond to our request for comment.

The British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stated to Reuters, other Washington reporters on Thursday that he spoke with Buttigieg about the topic.

Shapps claimed that dropping the requirements has boosted Britain’s economy, and not affected COVID-19.

“It’s easy to get rid. Shapps noted that this has provided a significant boost to the tourism industry.

While he thinks that the United States may be moving to lift the regulations, U.S. officials did not offer any firm evidence.

It’s heading towards the endgame, according to my sense. Shapps stated that they believe it is aware of the need to move. “I feel that they will realize it by the summer.”

Many countries, including Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom have removed pre-departure testing for travelers who are vaccinated.