TOPLINE
Delta has added 270 passengers to its no-fly list for refusing to wear masks, CEO Ed Bastian said in an internal memo Thursday outlining public health measures the company has taken as airlines hope to reassure passengers that it’s safe to fly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Delta has banned 270 people for refusing to wear a mask.
KEY FACTS
Bastian said the use of face masks is “a top priority for reducing the spread of the virus” in the memo obtained by Forbes, first reported by CBS, echoing what public health experts have been saying for months.
Despite the public health measures in place, airlines do not think demand will return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024, according to a July International Air Transport Association (IATA) report.
Last month, the United Nation’s International Civil Aviation Organization estimated that the maximum potential loss for passenger operating revenues for airlines in 2020 will be $365 billion and predicted an overall reduction of 2.86 billion travelers.
key background
Just 45% of people said they would be comfortable flying within a few months of the pandemic subsiding, according to a July IATA survey. When asked to rank the top three measures that would make them feel safer, 37% said Covid-19 screening at departure airports, 34% agreed with face-covering mandates and 33% said social distancing measures on the plane.
further reading
Delta has banned 270 passengers for refusing to wear face masks (CBS)
JetBlue Tests UV Cleaning As Airlines Look To Reassure Passengers (Forbes)
