WASHINGTON, 12 May 2020: Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organisation for the leading US airlines, confirms member carriers are supporting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin checking the temperature of travellers and customer-facing employees for as long as necessary during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Temperature checks are one of several public health measures recommended and will add an extra layer of protection for passengers as well as airline and airport employees.
Temperature checks will be performed by the TSA to ensure that procedures are standardised, providing consistency across airports so that travellers can plan appropriately.
Last week, A4A’s carrier members voluntarily announced that they require customer-facing employees and passengers wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth throughout the journey — during check-in, boarding, in-flight and deplaning.
A4A’s member carriers have implemented intensive cleaning protocols, in some cases to include electrostatic cleaning and fogging procedures. Carriers are working around the clock to sanitise cockpits, cabins and key touchpoints – like tray tables, armrests, seatbelts, buttons, vents, handles and lavatories – with CDC-approved disinfectants. Additionally, A4A carriers have aircraft equipped with HEPA filters and have implemented a range of policies – such as back-to-front boarding and adjusting food and beverage services to reduce interaction. More details are available here.
Airlines for America (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.
