Airline industry CEOs and other leaders had a spirited day testifying before Congress this week, as lawmakers sought answers to a variety of questions.
Ostensibly, the three-hour hearing that included United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, American's Doug Parker, Southwest's Gary Kelly, and Delta Chief of Operations John Laughter was originally to query the industry on how it spent the $54 billion in federal grants and loans for pandemic payroll relief yet still suffered major staff shortages. Those shortages led to a series of huge delays and cancellations during the spring, summer and fall.
At times, the hearing grew testy, or as Yahoo Finance expert Adam Shapiro called it in a video report, "spicy." The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation strayed into several other subjects, including the federal mask mandate, employee vaccine mandates, alcohol on board flights, even ancillary fees.
Shapiro reported that, at one point during the three hours of testimony, Flight Attendants Union International President Sara Nelson asked the committee to ban alcohol on flights, saying that in addition to the mask mandate the consumption of alcohol has led to numerous physical and verbal altercations with flight crews. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a noted airline critic, said he would consider bringing the topic before the Department of Transportation.
Southwest's Kelly questioned the need for wearing masks on planes beyond the March 18, 2022 expiration date for the mandate. The mandate has been extended several times over the last year.
"I think the case is very strong that masks don't add much, if anything, in the air cabin environment. It is very safe and very high quality compared to any other indoor setting," Kelly said during testimony, noting the use of HEPA filters and other effective virus-fighting tools.
But Nelson quickly shot back that not all planes are equipped with HEPA filters, and Sen. Markey said "I'm shocked that some of the CEOs here today have suggested we no longer need masks mandates on planes," adding that planes are still filled with unvaccinated adults and children under five who cannot yet receive the inoculation.
Initially, American CEO Doug Parker agreed with Kelly, saying, "I concur," but later walked it back. The airline said in a statement to the New York Post that Parker "did not intend to cast doubt on the necessity of face masks on planes. As noted in Doug's testimony, we support the federal mask mandate, and masks are an important part of our commitment to keeping our customers and team members healthy and safe."
The CEOs appeared before the Senate committee on Wednesday, December 15. In a sad and ironic twist, less than two days later Southwest Airlines announced that Kelly himself had contracted COVID-19.
"Although testing negative multiple times prior to the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Gary tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home, experiencing mild symptoms, and taking a PCR test," a Southwest spokeswoman said in a statement to CNBC. "Gary is doing well and currently resting at home, he has been fully vaccinated and received the booster earlier this year. Gary's symptoms continue to be mild, and each day he is moving closer to a full recovery."
CNBC said that Kirby, who set next to Kelly's left, Parker and Laughter all have since tested negative. Neither the airline executives nor the lawmakers were wearing masks at the hearing.
As for the original meaning for the testimony, the CEOs all said that the federal aid worked exactly as it should have been utilized.
"It's not an exaggeration to say the program saved the airline industry, which Congress and the administration recognized as critical infrastructure that is as essential to the economy as it is unique," Parker said.
Added Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci in a written statement according to CNBC: "(The aid was for) keeping employees on staff, it reduced the time that would have been required to train people coming back to work - an effort that takes months and significant resources."
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