‘American way to fly’ shouldn’t risk catching virus
The nation’s airlines received a $50 billion bailout as part of federal coronavirus stimulus spending. How do two of the four largest carriers show their gratitude? By putting passengers’ lives at risk.
As the nation battles the highly contagious and rapidly spreading coronavirus, United and American airlines are packing their planes full, demonstrating that they care far more about profits than the health of their customers.
It’s time for immediate congressional and presidential action to stop this reckless behavior, to show that, to use the motto of the nation’s largest air carrier, the “American way to fly” shouldn’t entail exacerbating a deadly pandemic.
“These airlines are only flying because we’re subsidizing them, because we think they’re essential,” U.S. Sen.
Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told the Washington Post. “If they’re essential, then we should do everything we can to make them safe for the people who are using them.”
In sharp contrast to United and American, Delta and Southwest, along with several smaller airlines, are flying their planes at reduced capacity to allow passengers to physically distance, usually by leaving the middle seat empty.
It’s imperfect. Flying still requires sitting in an enclosed space for extended time — exactly the scenario health experts urge us to avoid.
But at least Delta and Southwest don’t force their customers to rub shoulders in the already-too-small seats. Meanwhile, United has never promised to leave empty seats, and American this month stopped doing so.
Federal government health experts last week questioned American’s actions.
“Obviously, that is something that is of concern. I’m not sure what went into that decision making,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told a Senate panel. “I think in the confines of an airplane that becomes even more problematic.”
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there was “substantial disappointment” about American’s decision. “I can say this is under critical review by us at CDC. We don’t think it’s the right message.”
Don’t hold your breath waiting on the CDC to act. This is the same agency that botched the rollout of coronavirus testing, setting back the nation’s response to the pandemic by months.
Redfield seems regularly torn between appeasing President Trump and protecting public health. On Wednesday, for example, he bolstered Trump’s call to rapidly reopen schools by saying the CDC guidelines should not be used “as a rationale to keep schools closed.”
A day later, he finally developed a bit of backbone by saying his agency would issue “additional reference documents” but would not change its guidelines. This hardly seems like the person willing to take on major corporations like the airlines in the name of public health.
Enter Sen. Merkley, who rode a newly packed American Airlines plane last week and tweeted, with a selfie picture, about the experience:
“.@AmericanAir: how many Americans will die bc you fill middle seats, w/ your customers shoulder to shoulder, hour after hour. This is incredibly irresponsible. People eat & drink on planes & must take off masks to do so. No way you aren’t facilitating spread of COVID infections.”
Now, he promises to introduce a bill banning the sale of middle seats on planes for the duration of the pandemic. It’s about time. Congress and President Trump should get on board.
Don’t hold your breath waiting on the CDC to act. This is the same agency that botched the rollout of coronavirus testing, setting back the nation’s response to the pandemic by months.