CRS report via LC – Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Civil Aviation Operations, August 17, 2020: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on civil aviation, particularly commercial passenger airline operations. The combination of travel restrictions; state and local mandates to stay at home, shelter-in-place, and self-quarantine after travel from certain areas; and public concerns over the risk of contracting COVID-19 from travel-related activities has resulted in a significant decrease in air travel demand since March 2020. Passenger air travel is not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2023at the earliest. The COVID-19 outbreak is the first major global pandemic having widespread impact on passenger jet air travel, and the federal government lacked a comprehensive plan for responding to communicable disease outbreaks across the aviation system despite considerable efforts to study the risks and develop airport-specific response plans. Initial federal response to the COVID-19 outbreak focused on international travel restrictions from countries experiencing outbreaks starting in late January 2020 with restrictions on travelers from China. Restrictions were later expanded to include travelers from Iran, Europe, and later from Brazil. Additionally, the Department of State had issued a global health advisory, urging U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel. The European Union also imposed restrictions on travelers from the United States which remains in effect even through restrictions on travel to Europe from certain other countries have been eased…”