Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Rep Case to FAA: Allow Hawaii to Require COVID Testing to Board Airplane
By Ed Case @ 9:30 PM :: 3154 Views :: Tourism, COVID-19

CASE TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: LET HAWAI’I REQUIRE COVID-19 TESTING AS A CONDITION TO BOARDING PLANES FOR HAWAI’I

He tells Federal Aviation Administration Pre-Board Testing Is Key To Protecting Public Health and Reopening Economy

He Says Hawai’i Shouldn't Have To Rely On Ineffective Post-Arrival Quarantine

News Release from Office of Rep Ed Case, May 13, 2020

(Honolulu, HI) – Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) today called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to confirm the State of Hawai‘i’s ability to impose and enforce COVID-19 prevention public health conditions on air travel to the islands.

In his letter to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, Case asked for the FAA”s “cooperation in confirming Hawai‘i’s ability to impose and enforce conditions on air travel to Hawai‘i which are critical to ensuring (a) the health of Hawai‘i’s residents and visitors and (b) the safe recovery of Hawai‘i’s economy and in particular our travel and tourism industry.”

Case continues: “These conditions would be as reasonably determined by the State of Hawai‘i as necessary to protect public health. This could include requiring testing of all intended passengers (including crew) on any direct air travel to Hawai‘i before boarding.

“Such testing could include at least fever testing and, as available, on-site rapid COVID-19 testing, as now required by international airlines such as Emirates on some flights. The requirement for enforcing these conditions would be borne by the airlines as a condition of accepting any intended passenger on any direct flight to Hawai‘i, and any airline would be required to deny boarding to any intended passenger with a fever which, under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, indicates potential COVID-19 infection or who tests positive.”

Case continued: “I further understand that the State of Hawai‘i imposed the 14-day incoming quarantine requirement in large part because it understood from the FAA, in its March and April guidance and otherwise, that the imposition of such pre-board conditions was not authorized by existing statutes and regulations and would jeopardize federal funding.

“I also understand from discussion with the FAA to date that in fact the FAA is focused on the safe and efficient use of the nation’s airspace (with safe not generally including protection of general ground populations from COVID-19 and efficient generally referring to maximum use), that the protection of the general public health in addition to air-related risks is not within FAA’s mandate, and that absent superseding authority in other federal agencies such as the CDC, the FAA is unwilling or unable to authorize the State of Hawai‘i to impose reasonable public health-related restrictions on travelers as a condition of travel to Hawai‘i.

“I ask and urge you to revisit these issues and assist me, the State of Hawai‘i, the people I represent, the visitors to Hawai‘i and the destinations to which they will return in finding a solution allowing the State of Hawai‘i to impose reasonable public health pre-board conditions on intended passengers to Hawai‘i.

“This could include flexibility within existing statutes and regulations, identification of superseding authority in other federal agencies, and proposed changes to existing regulations and statutory authority. In the latter case, I ask that you initiate any required rule changes under expedited authority, and propose to me specific statutory amendments which would provide you with the necessary authority.

“I ask that you do so on an emergency basis considering the continued public health threat to Hawai‘i from our inability to impose and enforce effective mitigation requirements. But I also ask that you do so because these questions will have to be answered and the necessary changes will have to be made for Hawai‘i to reopen to any great extent to air travel.

“Simply put, if passengers do not feel safe coming to Hawai‘i because they fear contracting COVID-19 on the flight or in Hawai‘i, or if Hawai‘i residents do not feel safe with passengers getting off planes in Hawai‘i, air travel to Hawai‘i will not recover leading to many consequences to include FAA and airport-supportive revenues. The same is true throughout the country and so the necessity of safe travel is in all respects a national one which FAA should better face now.

The letter concludes: “Considering the urgency of protecting Hawaii’s current and future public health, I ask for your specific response by no later than Wednesday, May 20th. I stand ready, together with the State of Hawai‘i and other interested parties both in Hawai‘i and nationally, to work with you on fashioning an effective solution to this critical matter.”

---30---

PDF: Case Letter to FAA

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT