“So far, fortunately there have only been a handful of cases, but we have already banned some passengers from traveling in Delta in the future for refusing to wear masks on board,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a memo to Delta employees on Thursday. .
The airlines say they are not sharing information with each other about the passengers they have banned. So, for example, a prohibited passenger in Delta can still book a flight in American and vice versa.
Bastian, the CEO of Delta, defended the toughening policy as important to protect the health and safety of passengers and crew members.
“Parts of the country have seen a resurgence of Covid-19, and this week new cases across the country grew to their highest level since April,” he wrote. “This is why it is more important than ever to adhere to the safety and health guidelines we have established to keep you safe. One of the most effective measures we have is to wear a mask, which numerous studies have shown can delay the spread of the virus. We take a mask requirement very seriously. “
He revealed at Delta’s annual meeting last week that 500 of the company’s employees have tested positive for Covid-19 since March, and that 10 have died. With approximately 90,000 employees, Delta’s infection rate for employees is more or less in line with that of the national population. Delta has also instituted a plan to evaluate all of its employees.
But the ride was still well below 90% of that year’s levels, allowing for many empty seats and rows between passengers.
Delta has maintained that it will not reserve passengers in intermediate seats until at least September 30. But Bastian revealed last week that he is considering lifting that limitation in the future.
“As business begins to return, as demand begins to grow, and if people are more confident in their travel experience, we will decide later this year when we begin to relax that cap restriction,” he said in the meeting.
Bastian also announced Thursday that to meet increased demand and vacate intermediate seats, Delta will add 1,000 flights to its daily schedule in July and another 1,000 a day in August.
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