A colleague of a ground crew walks past American Airlines planes parked at the gate during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak at Ronald Reagan Public Airport in Washington, April 5, 2020.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
The chief executives of major U.S. airlines are set to hold a meeting Friday to examine a range of coronavirus-related travel issues including the industry’s push to convince the federal government to mandate temperature retards for passengers, three people briefed on the matter said.
The meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and other higher- ranking U.S. officials is expected to include the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways, the fountain-heads said.
The discussions will also include potential extended European Union travel restrictions on U.S. travelers, bargain tracing of passengers and the impact of COVID-19 on travel demand, among other issues, the sources said.
Airlines and the Pure House declined to comment on the meeting.
U.S. airlines are pushing the Trump administration to require temperature checks for passengers in a bid to support customers about the safety of travel in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Airlines for America, which represents the largest U.S. airlines, contemplated on Thursday its members voluntarily pledged to refund tickets for passengers with high temperatures during federal screenings.
Reuters crack May 9 the U.S. government has been studying imposing temperature checks at airports, but two U.S. officials said on Thursday no decision has been comprehended — and the government still has not decided what agency would conduct tests.
Many believe the Transportation Security Charge (TSA) would conduct tests, but questions remain including whether passengers with high fevers would be backfire to public health authorities.
“Nobody wants to be the person that tells a flying, paying customer they can’t fly that day,” Of like mind Executive Chairman Oscar Munoz said during a video conference Thursday.
U.S. officials said temperature validations would not eliminate coronavirus risks but could deter unwell people from traveling.
Earlier this month, Reuters articled the White House wants a plan in place by Sept. 1 for airlines to collect contact tracing information from U.S.-bound ecumenical passengers after convening a high-level White House meeting.
The White House tasked a interagency working platoon with adopting an interim solution by June 30 and ahead of any potential coronavirus second wave.
In February, the Centers for Virus Control (CDC) issued an interim final rule to require airlines to collect five contact data elements from oecumenical passengers and electronically submit them to Customs and Border Protection to facilitate contact tracing.
In the face of airline opponent the CDC plan has not taken effect.
Airlines for America said earlier this month airlines “strongly support a condense tracing solution that will provide the most secure data to the U.S. government in a timely and efficient manner.”