Delta CEO Says Airline Taking ‘Additional Steps’ for Safety

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian sent another of his missives to his customers on Thursday, and this ‘Update From Ed’ focused on the additional steps the airline is taking to transform cleanliness and safety.

Stressing that he wants fliers to feel confident in their trip, Bastian noted the changes that have been made so far have been the direct feedback from customers as well as with the medical community.

He especially noted the efforts of Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean and infectious diseases professor at Emory School of Medicine, based not far from Delta’s headquarters in Atlanta.

It starts with an extension of blocking the middle seat.

“As you plan your future trips, including travel to visit family for the holidays, rest assured that we have extended our policy of blocking middle seats and limiting the number of customers on every flight through Jan. 6, 2021,” Bastian wrote. “Data and science drive this approach to your care and protection. The medical experts at Emory Healthcare agree: distance matters.”

As for cleanliness, the CEO said layers of protection have been implemented with guidance from medical experts at Emory to help mitigate the risk of bacterial and viral spread. Delta also has a newly established Global Cleanliness division and partnership with RB, the makers of Lysol.

The face mask requirement onboard all flights will remain intact for both customers and employees.

“To take care of the people who take care of you, Delta is well on its way to testing nearly 100 percent of employees for COVID-19, thanks to relationships with Mayo Clinic, Quest Diagnostics and CVS Health,” Bastian wrote.

“Through these partnerships and others, you can be confident in the measures we have put in place to keep you and our employees healthy and safe while traveling with Delta.”