by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:10 AM ET, Wed February 10, 2021
The CEO of Delta Air Lines expects a surge of travelers taking to the skies this summer, but does not believe testing people before domestic flights is a smart plan.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian spoke extensively during a recent interview with The Associated Press about the aviation industry and the continued impact of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
When asked about the upcoming peak travel seasons, Bastian believes that based on the number of searches for vacations, airlines will see an increasing number of bookings starting in the spring for summer trips.
While the CEO remains optimistic, he said even a gradual ramp-up of bookings would "feel like a surge."
Bastian also spoke about COVID-19 protocols, voicing his full support of the required testing for international travel implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While Delta adheres to all current CDC mandates, the CEO voiced his displeasure with the news the government could reportedly require a negative COVID-19 test before passengers board a domestic flight.
"I don't anticipate that is coming. I certainly hope not," Bastian said. "The level of travel that we are carrying domestically in the U.S. - not just Delta, but across the industry - would be substantially reduced from today's already low levels if domestic testing was required."
"And we don't have the facility or the technology or capabilities to be administering or monitoring domestic testing," Bastian continued.
As far as the health and safety standards during the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta announced earlier this week it would continue blocking middle seats and limit capacity on all flights departing through April 30.
Bastion also spoke about new United States President Joe Biden and the impact he will have on aviation this year and moving forward.
"I expect the administration is going to be very focused on the health of the airline industry and getting us back to health," Bastion said. "We are a vital cog in our nation's economy. We are a job creator. I think they will be very sensitive to ensuring that there are no additional challenges put in our way of returning to health."
"The other thing that is most important is the federal coordination and support to get the virus under control," Bastion continued. "I think they will have a stronger voice as compared to the patchwork (during the Trump administration) with 50 states making decisions around travel and quarantine and vaccine deployment and testing and the like. So, I'm looking forward to that."
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