Hawaiian Airlines hopes the state will reconsider its Safe Travels Program after new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that fully vaccinated people can travel domestically at low risk to themselves.
The CDC last week said that fully vaccinated people do not need a COVID-19 test or quarantine if they take precautions such as wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, social distancing and washing hands. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last recommended vaccine dose.
Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, told HPR that the airline was pleased to see the CDC's new guidelines and hopes the state will update its Safe Travels Program and provide people with new ways to travel without quarantine or testing.
"We have been working with the state and some of the partners that are working on verification alternatives to verify the Safe Travels documentation, and there's a couple of pilot programs that are undeway," Ingram said. "I think ultimately the state does envision that those could be adapted to include not just test results, but vaccination results as well." He added that the policy would be up to the state to approve.
Last month, Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green told HPR that a vaccine passport program was in the works.
For international travel, the CDC said fully vaccinated people do not need to self-quarantine when returning to the U.S. unless required by local jurisdictions. However, they should get tested one to three days before arriving and again three to five days after arrival.
Ingram said travel bookings are up for Hawaiian Airlines, and they are seeing travelers reserving trips for the late second quarter and third quarter of this year.
