White House considers lifting European travel restrictions

American airline officials say widespread support for lifting restrictions for Schengen area and Britain

Europeans could soon be allowed to enter the United States, with the White House considering lifting travel bans imposed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Travellers from Britain, Ireland and 26 other European countries would be allowed to enter the US under proposals, reported Reuters, with airline officials made aware of the plans.

Members of the White House’s coronavirus task-force, as well as officials from public health and other federal agencies, are reportedly in support of the measures.

But the US president, Donald Trump, has not decided on whether to remove the travel restrictions, while the timing also remains uncertain.

Officials within his administration argue that the restrictions no longer make sense given that most countries around the world are not subject to the entry ban.

Speaking at the time, Mr Trump alleged that European countries had "failed to take the same precautions [as the US] and restrict travel from China and other hotspots.”

“[And] as a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe."

Similar accusations have been levelled at the region’s leaders over the summer by the US president, who has come increasingly under pressure from airlines to reinstate cross-Atlantic travel.

They contend that lifting the restrictions would be a significant boost to US airlines, who  have seen international passenger numbers fall by 70 per cent this year, according to airline industry data.

Still, president Trump may not decide to lift the European travel ban, with cases on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic.

And European countries could be unlikely to immediately allow most Americans to resume visits, officials have said.

The European countries that are subject to the US entry restrictions include the 26 members of the Schengen area that allow travel across open borders.