Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines, is launching a new public awareness campaign, “Fly Healthy. Fly Smart,” to showcase the enhanced cleaning and procedural changes carriers are implementing and to remind travelers of the steps they can take to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“With the Memorial Day holiday approaching, U.S. airlines are coming together as an industry to deepen their commitment to instituting multiple layers of protection throughout the travel experience – from check-in to touchdown,” said Nicholas Calio, A4A president and CEO.
A4A’s member airlines are requiring passengers and customer-facing employees to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout the journey — check-in, boarding, in-flight and deplaning. At check-in counters and gate areas, travelers may see agents sanitizing counters and kiosks and some airlines have installed plexiglass shields and marked the floors to ensure appropriate distance is maintained.
As an additional layer of protection, A4A’s member airlines have encouraged the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin conducting temperature screenings.
The A4A also released new statistics to show that during the week of May 10-17, the vast majority of U.S. airline flights, 73 percent, were less than 50 percent full.
The A4A noted that some airlines are attempting to leave some seats open for distancing between travelers when feasible, but not all circumstances allow for that. Some airlines are working with passengers to make accommodations when possible, but it is important to note that only 8.5 percent of U.S. airline flights are more than 70 percent full.
