How the new coronavirus flight restrictions from Europe work
The White House announced Wednesday night that it was adding new air travel restrictions for travelers coming from certain European countries.
The rules apply to all airports, including Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.
The new rules will start to be enforced at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 13.
Here’s how it works:
Are U.S. citizens affected?
No. According to the proclamation, the restrictions do not apply to:
- Any lawful permanent resident of the United States
- Anyone who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
- Anyone who is the parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident under the age of 21
Anyone who is the sibling of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that both are unmarried and under the age of 21
Anyone who is the child, foster child, or ward of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or who is a prospective adoptee seeking to enter the United States pursuant to certain visa classifications
Which visitors are affected?
Any non-citizen or non-resident who was physically present in the Schengen Area in the past 14 days. The Schengen Area includes:
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Italy
- Portugal
- Spain
It also includes: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.
It does not include the United Kingdom nor Ireland.
Which U.S. airports are affected?
The proclamation applies to all U.S. airports. However, after Friday, the only airports that will be allowed to admit passengers from the Schengen Area are as follows:
- Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Dallas-Fort Worth: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Detroit: Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
- Newark, New Jersey: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Honolulu: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- New York City: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Chicago: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Washington, D.C.: Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
How long do the restrictions last?
The White House has imposed the restrictions for an indefinite period of time.
I am flying back from Europe, or I have a relative who is doing so, after Friday. Now what?
Airlines are advising that there are likely to be mass cancellations for Schengen-area flights, even though the restrictions don’t apply to U.S. citizens. Once the rules kick in, airlines are advising travelers currently in Europe to reroute to an unaffected airport in the region. They recommend any in the U.K., including Scotland or Ireland.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 12:04 PM.
