The CEO of Southwest Airways claimed Sunday that it’s protected to fly once more regardless of the continued coronavirus pandemic.
Talking on “Face the Nation” on CBS, Gary Kelly mentioned the airline had taken excessive measures to make sure passengers could be protected from the COVID-19 virus and that the corporate’s jets have been “as protected as humanly doable.”
“We’re doing every part doable to encourage folks to return again and fly,” Kelly instructed Margaret Brennan. “We’re cleansing airplanes, we’re requiring masks of our staff and our clients, we’re utilizing very deep cleansing in a single day, we’re utilizing electrostatic misters which can kill the virus on surfaces for as much as 30 days.”
“We’re exercising social distancing on board the plane,” Kelly mentioned. “We received’t be reserving airplanes full so that folks can unfold out. So, completely we’re doing every part we are able to to make it as protected as humanly doable.”
Kelly’s remarks come after different main airways, together with Delta, United, American, and JetBlue, introduced that passengers could be required to put on protecting masks on flights and that different security measures in opposition to the coronavirus could be put in place.
The airline business has been exhausting hit by the virus, which has lowered air journey to a naked minimal amid lockdowns and journey restrictions — and Southwest isn’t any exception.
Kelly mentioned practically 400 of the airline’s fleet has been grounded in the course of the lockdown.
“The demand isn’t there,” he instructed Brennan. “So, clearly if issues don’t enhance now we have to downsize.”
“We’ve by no means had a furlough in our historical past, we’ve by no means had a pay minimize in our historical past, and I’m terribly pleased with that. We actually don’t wish to break that report. What I had promised our folks is I don’t know what the longer term holds however I do know that we’re very nicely ready.”
He mentioned the final measure for the financially strapped air provider could be involuntary furloughs for the airline’s greater than 60,000 staff.