In another of his series of letters to customers, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian outlined some increased health and safety protocols passengers can expect while flying.
Bastian has been emailing a series of notes since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March.
This week, he talked about the airline's commitment to keeping passengers safe in a series of bullet points.
- Employee Testing. Bastian revealed that Delta has now partnered with Quest Diagnostics and the famed Mayo Clinic to create a program to test virtually all employees in the next four weeks. "This first round of testing ensures any infected individuals are identified quickly and given time to recover at home, reducing exposure to others," he said. "The results will also help design strategies to keep you and our people safe in the months ahead."
- Requiring Face Masks. Bastian noted that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently shared that no symptomatic secondary cases were reported after 139 salon clients were exposed to two symptomatic hair stylists with COVID-19 while both the stylists and the clients wore face masks. "That's why we remain committed to requiring you and our employees to wear a mask or face covering when you travel with Delta through December 31," he said.
- Blocking Middle Seats. "By capping seating to reduce the number of people on board and blocking middle seats through the end of September, you can rest assured that you will have space for safer travel on Delta flights," Bastian said. "For your comfort and safety, more flights will be added as planes reach the capacity limit and middle seats will continue to be blocked beyond September."
- Continued Focus On Cleaning. Bastian said he was pleased that customer satisfaction scores are up during the pandemic. "On board all flights, you'll experience enhanced cleaning procedures, including disinfectant electrostatic spraying on aircraft, sanitizing high-touch areas before each flight and cleaning the lavatories more frequently in flight," he wrote.
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