Deadly disease sparks new CDC rule for US-bound flyers as major airlines seek delay

Major U.S.and international airline groups are pushing back against a new Ebola-related travel requirement that will affect millions of people flying into the United States.Beginning Nov.

3, all passengers on international flights to the U.S.will have to confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The requirement applies to everyone flying into or connecting through the U.S.

— including American citizens, green card holders and airline crew members, the CDC said.US ISSUES URGENT TRAVEL WARNING AS DEADLY EBOLA OUTBREAK SPREADS OVERSEASTravelers will have to complete a paper or digital statement before boarding, even if they have never visited the DRC. Airlines must collect the forms and keep them for at least 42 days after the flight arrives in the U.S., according to the CDC.Beginning Nov.3, all passengers on international flights to the U.S.

will have to confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days.(Megan Varner/Getty Images)Airlines for America (A4A), which represents major carriers including American, Delta, Southwest, United and JetBlue, is asking the CDC to reconsider the requirement and give airlines more time to prepare, according to an Oct.

26 letter provided to Fox News Digital.The group said it supports the CDC's public health goals but argued that the new requirement is too broad and is being introduced too quickly."We have to ensure that this does not cross borders."A4A asked the government for a "more proportionate and measured U.S.response" focused more closely on affected areas and travelers who have recently been there.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERThe group also asked for the Nov.

3 start date to be delayed."Changes to check-in systems, digital signatures, station procedures and training cannot readily be completed in the allotted time,...