Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has sent a personal email to its customers, telling them that the carrier has been preparing for something like the coronavirus for more than a decade.
Looking to reassure a world that is suddenly skittish about getting on a plane or a cruise ship in close quarters, Bastian wrote that it's important to travel smarter and more consciously.
"As a global airline, we have strong relationships in place with health experts including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local health authorities worldwide. We are in constant contact with them to make sure our policies and procedures meet or exceed their guidelines," he wrote.
"Operations are our lifeblood. We've learned from past experience with outbreaks like H1N1 and Ebola, and have continually refined and improved our ability to protect our customers. That includes the way we circulate clean and fresh air in our aircraft with highly advanced HEPA filters, the new fogging procedures in our cleaning process, how we sanitize aircraft between flights and how we respond if a customer is displaying symptoms."
Delta has issued a full report on the measures it is taking on its website.
A command center in Atlanta has been stood up to guide Delta's response, leading a global team of thousands of Delta professionals dedicated to giving customers what it calls 'a healthy flying experience.'
"This world-class group of airline employees has your back, and I have never been prouder of the women and men of Delta," he wrote.
In addition to providing customers with the valuable commodity of information, Bastian wrote that he understands the need for travel and financial flexibility. To that end, Delta is offering waivers to all.
"We understand that in today's world, travel is fundamental to our business and our lives, which is why it can't - and shouldn't - simply stop," he wrote. "I believe Delta's mission of connecting the world and creating opportunities is never more important than at times like this."
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