Airlines ground crew shows a little love
With air traffic nearing record lows amid the coronavirus pandemic, the crew of at least one airlines is making sure to give an extra “thank you” for those continuing to fly.
On Sunday morning at Fort Lauderdale-International Airport, passengers on a Southwest flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico, were greeted with an appreciative send-off right before takeoff. Walking alongside the plane on the tarmac, ground crew members held up signs thanking passengers for choosing Southwest.
In a photo shared on social media, at least five ground crew workers could be seen holding up signs, including “Thanks Ft. Lauderdale for flying on Southwest!”
and “We got you! We love you.”
“Everyone on the plane thought it was really cool,” said James Lott, who took the picture.
Lott estimated there were about 30 people on his flight, adding that everyone flying alone got a whole row of seats to themselves.
With coronavirus fears and social distancing guidelines across the country, the airline industry has experienced a stunning decline over the past two months. Compared to last year, air travel has dropped 96%, CNN reported earlier this month.
According to the report, Transportation Security Administration screened just under 95,000 people on April 8, down from 2.3 million on the same day in 2019.
South Florida’s three major airports are in line for more than $375 million in federal CARES Act relief. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is scheduled to receive nearly $135 million. Miami International Airport will get more than $206 million. Palm Beach International Airport will receive slightly more than $36 million, according to figures from the Federal Aviation Administration.