The proposal to require domestic passengers to provide evidence that they tested negative Covid-19 is a “terrible idea,” said Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines.
Bastian told CNN’s Poppy Harlow on Tuesday that the Proposal is discussed by the Biden Administration would drain test resources from people who need it more. He said the number of confirmed Covid cases transmitted in air travel since the pandemic began is “absolutely minimal”.
“It won’t make domestic flyers any safer,” he said. Aircraft have hospital-grade air filters on board and replace fresh air into the cabin every few minutes, reducing the chance of transmission.
“Indeed [there are] Very, very few documented cases worldwide, not just domestically, ”said Bastian of infections related to air travel. He added that the domestic testing requirement would consume “about 10%” of the resources the country needs to “keep sick people away from these people”.
Covid tests are required for some international travelers to prevent new variants of the virus from spreading faster in the US. Tests are also required prior to boarding in Hawaii, but not for most domestic flights.
Bastian said adding the requirement was a “logistical nightmare” that would deal a major blow to the already ailing aviation and hospitality industries.
“It would set us back another year of recovery,” he predicted.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg CNN said it has not yet made a decision to require testing, but it is one of the options the Centers for Disease Control is considering.
“There has to be common sense medicine and science that really drive this,” he said.
Delta announced on Monday that it would not book any passengers in the middle seats of its aircraft until at least April. It is the only US airline that continues to limit its capacity.
“It’s expensive. No question about it,” said Bastian. However, the cost of keeping the middle seat open is partially offset by higher tariffs that Delta was able to charge, he added.
The average amount Delta passengers paid for each mile traveled in the last three months of the year was only 3% lower than in the previous pandemic. That’s significantly better than the other three big US airlines – American, United, and Southwest – which are struggling with declines of 15% to 19%.
“When traveling, people value health, safety and comfort,” said Bastian. “And we’re getting a significant premium for traveling with Delta.”
Delta began offering vaccines to its employees at Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta this week, with priority being given to employees 65 and over. The company also offers vaccinations for employees of other airlines.
Some have suggested that vaccines should be required of all airline employees who interact with the public. But Bastian said it was too early to discuss such a requirement.
“First, most of our employees can’t even get the vaccines. We don’t have any supplies yet, ”he said. “We will strongly encourage vaccinations. I know our staff understand the importance of restoring confidence in travel and that vaccination is one of the steps we will take. I think this is a decision to be made later when we go through the history of the vaccination effort. “
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s last name was misspelled.
