Delta flyers must wear coronavirus face mask or face ban
COVID-19 would slow if people wore masks, it said
Fox Business Briefs: Delta Air Lines tells shareholders 10 employees have died from the virus and about 500 others have tested positive; Labor Department says nearly 1.5 million workers filed new claims for unemployment last week.
Delta is taking a hard stance on coronavirus face masks.
The airline announced recently that its passengers must put on a face covering before boarding the plane and keep it on for the duration of the flight, or else, face a ban.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 64.75 | +1.51 | +2.39% |
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 94.26 | +3.88 | +4.29% |
“Wearing a face covering is one of the most important ways to stay safe in the airport and on board,” CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement Wednesday, citing a study by international experts that “indicated that the spread of COVID-19 would be drastically reduced if 80 percent of the population wore a face covering combined with social distancing.”
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He said passengers who choose not to comply, they’ll “risk losing the ability to fly with Delta in the future. While you’re encouraged to bring your own face covering, supplies are available if needed. Thank you for doing your part to stay safe and protect those around you.”
The statement comes as other carriers, like United Airlines, are implementing their own mask measures to limit spread of COVID-19, which health experts warn spreads in close contact.
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United has said that passengers who refused to comply could be put on a restricted list, while also saying it would offer face masks to passengers who don’t already have one.
As U.S. carriers work on ways to ensure their passengers’ safety and peace of mind while traveling, many major carriers are rolling out a new set of hygiene and safety measures. Americans Airlines, along with Delta and JetBlue announced it would require staff members and passengers to wear a face cover, as well as robust cleaning policies.
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Travel and lifestyle journalist Francesca Page on how air travel standards will shift due to coronavirus.
A report this week said that despite averaging fewer than two dozen passengers per domestic flight, U.S. airlines are collectively burning more than $10 billion in cash per month. In a prepared testimony from Airlines for America, seen by Reuters, the group said even after grounding nearly 50 percent of the active U.S. fleet, its member carriers, including the four largest U.S. airlines, are averaging just 17 passengers per domestic flight.
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