CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, said during an interview with NBC’s Today that his company has put 100 travelers on its “no fly list” because those passengers refused to wear masks.
Bastian said the travelers’ refusal to wear appropriate personal protective equipment forced the company’s hand. According to Delta’s new policy, even those unable to wear will not be accommodated.
I need to know who's on Delta's no-fly list https://t.co/Rl2pMsrdIZ
— Claire Stern (@clairecstern) August 2, 2020
No bending on making sure Delta travelers wear masks
“We implemented a new procedure this week because we’ve had some customers indicate that they have underlying condition that makes wearing a mask dangerous for them,” Bastian told Today. “We’ve told them that you may not want to fly, to reconsider whether air travel is the right form of transportation.”
Last month, Bastian said President Donald Trump should mandate masks for air travelers.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNN that he believes the Trump administration should move to require the use of face masks during air travel.https://t.co/89y5IyTpJy
— Axios (@axios) July 10, 2020
Delta CEO: ‘The flight experience today is really positive’
Delta’s CEO also explained his company’s new rules to make their flights safer. In addition to allowing only 60% capacity on planes and blocking off all middle seats, Delta sanitizes regularly and uses electrostatic fogging as a disinfectant for the interior.
Despite all of these complications, Bastian that traveling right now remains pleasant.
“The flight experience today is really positive,” the CEO said. “I know there’s a lot of anxiety in the general public and even from road warriors who have been out flying for years. The first time back, there’s a level of angst that they need to almost be walked through the process.”
CEO of Delta Airlines Ed Bastian tells @WillieGeist that Delta has banned 100 people from flying the airline in the future because they refused to wear masks
Bastian also says they’re only booking flights at 60% of capacity and blocking out middle seats pic.twitter.com/mAgmSiXM10
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) July 22, 2020
Bastian: ‘If you board the plane and you insist on not wearing your mask, we will insist that you don’t fly Delta into the future’
Delta said in a statement to NPR that “medical research tells us that wearing a mask is one of the most effective ways to reduce the COVID-19 infection rate,” and the company “remains committed to requiring customers and employees to wear a mask or face covering as a consistent layer of protection across all Delta touch points.”
“You cannot board a Delta plane unless you have a mask on,” Bastian said. “If you board the plane and you insist on not wearing your mask, we will insist that you don’t fly Delta into the future.”