It seems American Airlines is continuing to boost the cleanliness aboard its aircraft and personal protective equipment in flight as the industry continues to adapt to life under COVID-19.
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 departing Chicago O’Hare – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
Starting this week, the airline will improve cleaning procedures start this week, expanding to every mainline and regional flight over time. Commencing early May the airline will expand its cleaning procedures already used during longer stops to every mainline flight. This cleaning will use a disinfectant approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency and includes:
- In customer areas, tray tables, seatbelt buckles, armrests, window shades and seatback screens. It also includes wiping door and overhead bin handles.
- In team member areas, enhanced galley cleaning, jumpseats and crew rest seats. The new enhancements add cockpit surfaces as well.
Already the airline has expanded their cleaning procedures, including additional touchpoints in the cabin, increased provisioning of hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for crew members, and expanded fogging with an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant in all public areas on aircraft.
Masks will be required for or flight attendants during every mainline and regional flight commencing 1st May. For crews, a drawer in the galley has been added on every mainline flight containing personal protective equipment, including masks for flight attendants and pilots, and other sanitising items
The deeper cleaning programme will expand from Mainline to regional operations too.
For passengers, the airline will start the process of distributing sanitizing wipes or gels and face masks to customers. This will commence in early May and will be expanded to all flights as supplies and operational conditions allow.
In Quotes
Kurt Stache, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience said
“We are looking out for our customers’ well-being to give them peace of mind while they travel with us,”
“We’re moving quickly on these enhancements and we’ll continue to improve the travel experience for our customers and team members as we navigate these times together.”
He adds
“Our team members on the frontline are truly going above and beyond during this time. Their commitment is nothing short of incredible and we will continue to work with them to make sure they have the equipment they need to feel safe.”
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