A new Senate bill would require all passengers on domestic airline flights to be fully vaccinated, test negatively for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure or show proof of recent recovery from the virus. 

The bill, filed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), follows a similar one filed in the House last month by Rep. Don Beyer (D.-Va.). 

“We know that air travel during the 2020 holiday season contributed to last winter’s devastating Covid-19 surge. We simply cannot allow that to happen again,” Feinstein said in a prepared remark. “Ensuring that air travelers protect themselves and their destination communities from this disease is critical to prevent the next surge, particularly if we confront new, more virulent variants of Covid-19.”

Travel industry lobby groups have opposed similar proposals, arguing that they are difficult on families with children who cannot be vaccinated and are not needed due to the safety of airplane environments as it relates to Covid transmission. 

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