WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Leading U.S. airlines are set to support the requirement of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin checking the temperature of all traveling public and customer-facing employees until necessary amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization that represents U.S. passenger and cargo airlines, confirmed the support of its member carriers for the temperature checking.
A4A members are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and UPS. Air Canada is an associate member.
Temperature checks are one among the various public health measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It will add an extra layer of protection for passengers as well as airline and airport employees that will be critical to boost public confidence to relaunch air travel and the nation's economy.
The temperature checks performed by the TSA will ensure that procedures are standardized, providing consistency across airports so that travelers can plan appropriately.
The temperature checking will be in addition to the voluntary announcement made last week by A4A that required passengers and customer-facing employees to wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth throughout the journey, including during check-in, boarding, in flight and deplaning.
Since the onset of COVID-19, U.S. airlines have been working closely with Congress, the Administration and federal agencies including the CDC and public health experts, to increase protection of passengers and employees.
All of A4A's member carriers meet or exceed CDC guidance and have implemented intensive cleaning protocols, in some cases to include electrostatic cleaning and fogging procedures. They are also sanitizing cockpits, cabins and key touchpoints such as tray tables, arm rests, seatbelts, buttons, vents, handles and lavatories with CDC-approved disinfectants.
Further, each of these carriers have enhanced their cleaning and disinfecting procedures, including using High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to clean the air inside the aircraft. It is also implementing back-to-front boarding and adjusting food and beverage services to reduce interaction.
Last week, American ultra low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines introduced a 'More Room' seat with a confirmed empty middle seat next to them in a bid to improve passenger health safety amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Passengers are allowed to select from eighteen available More Room seats starting at $39 per passenger, per flight.
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