The CEO of Delta Air Lines on Tuesday criticized the Biden administration for considering a proposal to require a negative coronavirus test for all domestic travelers, calling it a “horrible idea” that would fail to protect passengers and hamstrings an industry that is already in trouble.
“It won’t keep domestic fliers safer,” said Ed Bastian, CEO of CNN Business, who assured that the planes have high-quality air filters that constantly cool the air every few minutes to reduce the chance of transmit the virus.
“Traveling home by air transport system is the safest form of transport. I think we all know that. Propagation incidents on board any of our aircraft are absolutely minimal. In fact, very, very few cases are documented worldwide, not just nationally, ”he said.
Bastian went on to say that an operation to require vaccines would draw much-needed resources from testing for sick people.
“I think it would be a logistical nightmare and that it would establish transportation, not just the transportation and travel industry, but the entire hospitality industry, hotels, would make us go back at least one more year in recovery,” he said. dit.
“I think it would be a horrible idea for many reasons,” Bastian said. “As an American industry we bring in over a million people a day on average and that number is starting to grow again, which we like to see.”
He said the requirement would deter people from traveling again and would have long-term consequences.
“If anything will keep people away from what they have to do, that is, … they start going out again … not just to travel essentially. But people have to start getting their lives back on track. And, aside the test resources to those who really need it, I think it would be a terrible decision, ”he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires negative testing for COVID-19 for international travelers arriving in the United States, but they have not yet extended it nationwide.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, was asked about comments by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that the government is considering requiring national evidence, as is the case with international travel.
“First, I would encourage people not to travel, but if we travel, that would be another mitigation measure to try to slow the spread,” he told the coronavirus briefing on Monday, but did not go into details.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, around 1.8 billion passengers took flights in 2020, compared to 4.5 billion in 2019, a loss of $ 370 billion for the airline industry.