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A Delta Air Lines worker works on the departures degree at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on August 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario Tama | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian stated about 8,000 of its 75,000 employees tested positive for Covid-19 over the last 4 weeks, absences that marred the corporate’s monetary outcomes throughout a busy vacation journey season.
Delta reported a loss for the quarter and forecast one other for the primary three months of the 12 months due to the fast-spreading omicron variant, however predicted journey would start to rebound once more in late February.
A collection of winter storms and airline crews sidelined by omicron infections contributed to greater than 20,000 U.S. flight cancellations industry-wide between Christmas Eve and the primary week of January. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby on Monday stated 3,000 of its near 70,000 U.S. employees had been positive for Covid.
Flight cancellations have eased considerably in the previous few days. Delta’s operation has since stabilized stated on Thursday, with 1% of flights canceled over the previous week due to omicron.
The employees who tested positive had “no important well being points,” Bastian stated in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” after releasing quarterly outcomes.
Delta late last 12 months up to date its sick-leave coverage for employees who take a look at positive for Covid-19, offering them 5 days of pay, exterior of sick banks, and an extra two days in the event that they take a look at positive on the fifth day. Previously employees had 10 days of paid go away. That got here after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention up to date its tips for Covid quarantining, halving its advice to 5 days.
Delta and different airways had urged the CDC to make the change.
The largest U.S. flight attendant union criticized Delta’s coverage. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants tweeted last week that Delta “is telling employees throughout work teams that they need to come to work w/ signs even when somebody in the family tested positive.” She additionally stated that positive employees had been instructed to “come to work after 5 days if the fever is under 100.9, even when nonetheless testing positive.”
Delta issued a cease-and-desist letter over the feedback to the union, which is attempting to arrange Delta’s flight attendants.
Bastian defended the coverage and stated it was primarily based on CDC steering.