Last checked at 
(Adds research report, USDOT comment)
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - Bosses of major U.S. and UK
airlines called on Tuesday for a summit between the two
governments to speed the reopening of transatlantic travel,
still paralyzed even though the countries have among the world's
highest COVID-19 vaccination rates.
"The airline industry needs adequate lead time to establish
a plan for restarting air services, including scheduling
aircraft and crews for these routes as well as for marketing and
selling tickets," said the letter to the transport chiefs of
both countries.
It was signed by the CEOs of American Airlines,
Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, British
Airways, Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue Airways.
Flights between the United States and Britain, normally some
of the world's busiest international long-haul routes, are still
largely stalled even as both countries are loosening COVID-19
restrictions and travelers are making summer holiday plans.
Britain has administered the most vaccine doses per capita of
any big country, and the United States is close behind.
MANAGING RISK
Willie Walsh, the former British Airways boss who now heads
global airline body IATA, voiced exasperation over what he
described as a failure by governments to "manage the net risk"
proportionately.
"You see some politicians just afraid to make decisions
because they're afraid of the consequences, whereas (in) the
airline industry we live with that all the time," Walsh said at
a virtual event on Wednesday. "Sometimes it's necessary for us
to be vocal and try to force that approach upon people."
Since March 2020, the United States has barred nearly all
non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in Britain. For its own
citizens, the U.S. State Department on Monday eased its UK
travel advisory, lowering it to a "Level 3: Reconsider Travel"
rating.
Britain requires visitors from the United States to
quarantine on arrival. Next week it is set to lift a nearly
five-month ban on most international travel by its own
residents, but it has so far excluded the United States from a
small "green list" of destinations where British passengers can
travel for leisure and return without a quarantine.
A spokesman for U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
noted that G7 Transport Ministers met last week "to discuss the
complexities around reopening international travel and how to do
so safely.
"These conversations are ongoing. The department will be
reviewing the letter with other agencies as part of the whole of
government approach to COVID recovery."
The British Embassy in Washington did not immediately
comment.
A coalition of U.S. and European travel, airline, union,
business and airport groups called last week for a full
reopening of the U.S.-UK air travel market "as soon as safely
possible."
Investment bank Cowen and Co said in a research note it
believes "the Biden Administration needs to make a decision
about international travel within the next week to 10 days...
"Americans are making their summer travel plans now, and
without a decision on Europe soon, we believe they will continue
to travel" to other destinations.
Travel firm TUI said on Wednesday it still expects a strong
2021 travel season, assuming some of its best destinations are
added to Britain's "green list" later this month.
(Reporting by David Shepardson
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Carmel Crimmins and Peter Graff)
