Airlines urge CDC to reconsider Ebola attestation requirements for US-bound travelers

Major airline trade groups, including Airlines for America and IATA, are petitioning the CDC to modify or delay a new rule taking effect November 3, 2026. The mandate requires all U.S.-bound air travelers to attest they have not visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the prior 21 days, amid an escalating Ebola outbreak exceeding 10,000 cases and 4,700 deaths. Airlines argue the two-week implementation timeline is unworkable.

Airline objections to implementation timeline

• ▪Airlines for America cautioned that modifying check-in systems, digital signatures, station procedures, and staff training could not readily be completed prior to the November 3, 2026 deadline.
• ▪Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association urged the CDC to reconsider a new order taking effect November 3, 2026, requiring all U.S.-bound air passengers and crew to attest whether they visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• ▪The International Air Transport Association stated that requiring global airlines serving the U.S. market to alter check-in procedures in less than two weeks was unreasonable.

CDC attestation requirements and enforcement

• ▪Passengers on U.S.-bound international flights who refuse to complete the CDC Ebola attestation statement will be denied boarding.
• ▪The CDC specified that travelers who knowingly submit false or misleading information on their Ebola attestation forms face potential criminal fines, prosecution, and imprisonment.
• ▪Airlines must collect paper or digital Ebola attestation forms from all U.S.-bound passengers and retain the records for at least 42 days following flight arrival.
• ▪The CDC attestation mandate requires all international passengers flying into or connecting through the United States, including U.S. citizens and flight crews, to confirm they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the preceding 21 days.
• ▪For minor travelers or passengers with disabilities unable to sign the CDC Ebola attestation, a parent, guardian, or authorized representative must execute the form on their behalf.

Scope and requested exemptions for attestation

• ▪Airlines for America stated that U.S. Customs and Border Protection screened 130 million air passengers in 2025, with fewer than 25,000 having travel connections to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• ▪The CDC attestation mandate applies exclusively to air travel, excluding maritime and surface transportation modes from the requirement.
• ▪The International Air Transport Association questioned why the CDC imposed the global Ebola attestation rule solely on air carriers while excluding surface and maritime transportation.
• ▪Airlines for America urged the CDC to grant exemptions from the Ebola attestation rule for airline crew members, jumpseat travelers, and U.S. military passenger charters.

Infectious disease expert assessment

• ▪Infectious disease physician Dr. Tyler Evans previously worked on Ebola response efforts during the outbreaks in both West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• ▪Dr. Tyler Evans characterized the CDC attestation rule as a step in the right direction to mitigate cross-border transmission during the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history.

Severity of DRC Ebola outbreak

• ▪The 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which carries a case fatality rate of approximately half and lacks an approved treatment or vaccine.
• ▪As of late October 2026, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded over 10,000 confirmed cases and nearly 5,000 deaths.

U.S. government travel restrictions on DRC

• ▪The U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory for the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to health, crime, unrest, terrorism, and kidnapping risks.
• ▪The CDC previously barred foreign nationals coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026 and extended travel restrictions to U.S. citizens in July 2026.