Delta: All Customers Must Wear Face Coverings for Travel

Photo Source: Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines customers as of May 4 are required to wear a face mask or appropriate face covering when traveling with the airline. The measure also applies to the airline’s staff.

Aligning with best practice guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the move comes on the heels of an announcement requiring employees worldwide to wear face masks if they are unable to maintain six feet of distance with customers or each other.

“While we remain committed to our new standard of clean and to providing more space for our customers when they travel, we take seriously the CDC guidelines for adding this extra layer of protection. We believe this change will give customers and employees some additional comfort when traveling with us,” said Bill Lentsch, Chief Customer Experience Officer of Delta Air Lines.

Other measures include:

• Employee temperature checks,
• Enhanced cleaning measures implemented in airports and on aircraft,
• Expanding electrostatic spraying procedures, which disinfect employee work and break areas, to more locations.

Face coverings will be required starting in the check-in lobby and across Delta touchpoints including Delta Sky Clubs, boarding gate areas, jet bridges and on board the aircraft for the duration of the flight – except during meal service. Their use is also strongly encouraged in high-traffic areas including security lines and restrooms. People unable to keep a face covering in place, including children, are exempt.

The airline encourages customers to bring their own face covering when traveling, while supplies will be available for passengers who need them.

Meanwhile, on top of existing cleaning measures, Delta is expanding electrostatic sanitizing spraying to all aircraft; adopting extensive pre-flight cleaning practices that disinfect high-touch areas; and using state-of-the-art air circulation systems with HEPA filters that extract more than more than 99.999% of even the tiniest viruses on many aircraft.

Members of Delta’s line maintenance crew disinfect the surfaces of the cabin including tray tables, seat backs and in-flight entertainment screens in a Boeing 757 in Atlanta, Ga., on March 6, 2020. Photo Source: Delta Air Lines (Chris Rank for Rank Studios)

The airline is also taking steps to give customers and employees more space for safer travel on the ground and in the air by blocking middle seats and boarding all flights from back-to-front, reducing the instances of customers needing to pass by one another to reach their seats.

A list of onboard changes can be found on  the airline’s website.