Major airlines, U.S. officials reportedly at odds over ways to track passengers for coronavirus

Major airline executives are pushing back against the government's attempt to get the addresses, phone numbers, and emails of international travelers arriving in the United States on specific flights, five people with knowledge of the matter told The Washington Post.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants airlines to share this information in order to track people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, the Post says. U.S. officials say they want this data within 24 hours of a flight, so if a passenger is diagnosed with coronavirus, state and county health authorities can be alerted and contact others who may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus.

Early last month, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a temporary rule requiring airlines pass along certain passenger data to federal officials. Airlines for America, a lobbying group that represents the airline industry, told the Post it shouldn't be up to the airlines to provide any additional data to the government, and they do not have the ability to quickly set up a tracking system or ensure that the passenger information received is accurate. Since the interim rule was announced, airlines have provided some extra information, but it has been "incomplete," one U.S. official told the Post.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up