The return of international tourists is a monumental moment in the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.

JFK Airport will lead the nation’s welcome party with the first flights arriving there. But Newark and LaGuardia airports will also welcome international tourists for the first time in over a year and a half.

Emotional reunions are expected at airports Monday morning as families are reunited for the first time in 20 months.

Two rival airlines took off from London’s Heathrow Airport simultaneously.

Both the Virgin Atlantic and British Airways flights are headed to JFK International Airport for the first with non-Americans on board in 20 months.

International tourists must be fully vaccinated and show proof of a negative COVID test, with some exceptions.

For British Airways, it’s the return of their most profitable route, London to New York.

“We keep outlining the economic impact of staying closed and the human impact. So, there is a lot of people who haven’t been able to visit family in the U.S. They haven’t been able to reunite. You know, both countries have huge amounts of foreign direct investment going both ways and that’s going to be impacted by this impasse,” said Sean Doyle, CEO, British Airways.

It’s also the final piece of the puzzle for New York City’s struggling tourism industry. Hotels, restaurants, and Broadway shows are all heavily dependent on international tourists.

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