Delta Air Lines CEO criticized the Biden government on Tuesday for considering a proposal to require a negative coronavirus test for all domestic travelers, calling it a “horrible idea” that would not keep passengers safe and would harm an industry who is already struggling.
“This will not keep domestic passengers safer,” said CEO Ed Bastian at CNN Business, saying the planes have high-quality air filters that constantly update the air every few minutes to reduce the chance of transmitting the virus.
“Traveling internally in the air transport system is the safest form of transportation. I think we all know that. Propagation incidents on board any of our planes are absolutely minimal. In fact, very few documented cases globally, not just internally, ”he said.
Bastian went on to say that an operation to demand vaccines would draw much-needed resources from testing for sick people.
“I think it would be a logistical nightmare and it would delay transportation, not just the transportation and travel sector, but the entire hospitality sector, hotels, that would at least probably delay us another year in recovery,” he said.
“I think it would be a horrible idea for several reasons,” said Bastian. “We are transporting more than a million people a day as an industry in the US on average, and that number is starting to grow again, which we like to see.”
He said the requirement would discourage people from traveling again and would have long-term consequences.
“At the very least, it will keep people away from what they need to do, which is … start coming back … not just for essential trips. But people need to start recovering their lives. And taking test resources from those who really need it, I think it would be a terrible decision, ”he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require negative COVID-19 tests for international travelers coming to the US, but have not yet extended them to the domestic market.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, was asked about Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s comments that the government is considering requiring domestic testing, just as it does with international travel.
“First of all, I would really encourage people not to travel, but if we are traveling, this would be another mitigation measure to try to slow the spread,” she said at Monday’s coronavirus briefing, but gave no details.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, about 1.8 billion passengers flew in 2020, compared with 4.5 billion in 2019, totaling a loss of $ 370 billion for the civil aviation sector.