Officials with the Georgia-based Delta Airlines would not comment Monday about Anthony Fauci’s remarks this past weekend suggesting air passengers must continue to wear COVID-19 masks — indefinitely.
Delta Airlines representatives did not return The Georgia Star News’ request for comment before Monday’s stated deadline.
Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) appeared on various Sunday morning news programs to discuss the ongoing pandemic.
ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl asked Fauci whether air passengers can eventually put their COVID-19 masks aside.
Fauci said he didn’t think so.
“I think when you’re dealing with a closed space, even though the filtration is good, that you want to go that extra step when you have people — you know, you get a flight from Washington to San Francisco, it’s well over a five-hour flight,” Fauci said.
“Even though you have a good filtration system, I still believe that masks are a prudent thing to do, and we should be doing it.”
Delta Airlines’ website reiterates that federal law requires passengers to wear COVID-19 masks at all times while in the airport and during flights. Delta officials also said these rules apply to people who have already vaccinated themselves against COVID-19.
In June, an anonymous Delta Airlines employee with two decades of experience complained about CEO Ed Bastian and what he called the company’s Woke culture.
The anonymous employee said Delta should never, among other things, contribute to political campaigns, endorse social causes, or contribute money to or promote “racist, Marxist, pseudo-terrorist political groups.” The writer also said company officials should never implement policies pitting the company against employees or customers.
Earlier this year Delta Airlines officials criticized Georgia’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202. This new voter reform law requires, among other things, voter ID on all absentee ballots and secured drop boxes around the clock.
Members of the Georgia House of Representatives in April struck back at Delta Airlines and decided not to renew a jet fuel tax credit that they bestow upon the company. The vote, however, was merely symbolic. Delta still has the tax credit. That’s because members of the Georgia State Senate did not have an opportunity to vote on the matter for this year’s legislative session before it ended.
Delta Airlines, according to its website, requires its passengers prove they are who they say they are and present a government-issued ID.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.” by NIAID. CC BY 2.0. Background Photo “Delta Aircraft Cleaning” by Delta News Hub. CC BY 2.0.
