The long-awaited US move to welcome back international travellers - which takes effect Monday - follows 18 months of restrictions for 33 countries during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic that separated families, impeded business travel and frustrated tourists.

Big carriers including Air France, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines are scrambling to meet the sudden surge in demand, adding flights, swapping in bigger planes for smaller ones and redoubling efforts to hire and retain staff.

Just after the White House announcement, British Airways saw a 900 percent jump in searches for flights and holiday packages to key US destinations compared with the week before.

The day after the announcement, American Airlines garnered a 66 percent jump in flight reservations to Britain, 40 percent to Europe and 74 percent to Brazil.

Airlines are planning for a modest pullback in January and February after a strong holiday season, but anticipate strong demand in the spring that will intensify in the summer, traditionally the busiest season.

At United Airlines, traffic to Latin America has fully returned to its level from 2019, but the rest of international travel remains at only about 63 percent.

The US carrier is betting big on a vibrant return to international travel, introducing five new destinations in the spring including in Spain and Norway, adding flights for popular destinations such as Rome and Dublin and reviving service to Frankfurt, Nice and other cities.

eNCA