Washington Announces New Pandemic Protocols For Air Travel

SEATTLE — Washington state has announced a series of new protocols to further protect airlines and airports against the coronavirus pandemic.

At a news conference announcing the changes Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee was joined by representatives from the Port of Seattle, Delta, and Alaska Airlines.

"We've worked with airlines, the ports, the public to come up with these protocols," Inslee said. "They're going to help keep us safe in the air."

The new protocols include:

• Requiring everyone to wear facial coverings in all public spaces before TSA screening.
  • Many airports require mask use after TSA screening, but the state only has the authority to implement the requirement in areas before screening.
• Physical distancing requirements, and new signage reminding passengers about physical distancing requirements.
• More protective barriers between travelers and airport employees.
• Stricter sanitization and disinfectant protocols.
• Requiring businesses inside airports to conform to both state and county coronavirus safety regulations.

In addition, the state has reached out to airlines and encouraged them to require travelers to take health screening questionnaires, and include face covering and physical distancing requirements aboard flights.

"I'm pleased to say most airlines are in fact doing that," said Inslee.

Representatives for Delta and Alaska said their airlines would be working together to support Inslee's new protocol, and were adding further protections of their own to improve customer safety.

"The safety of all airlines is paramount at this time, it's not about being first, it's about doing what's right for the public," said Max Tidwell, vice president of safety and security for Alaska Airlines.

Tidwell highlighted several changes Alaska has made since the pandemic hit, including limiting the number of seats available on each flight, and forbidding passengers from using center seats.

"We're encouraged to see evidence that our procedures and practices are working," Tidwell said.

Meanwhile, Delta Regional Vice President Tony Conchar announced that, beginning October 1, their airline will begin using a thermal camera to temperature screen all Delta customers traveling from Sea-Tac airport.

"Passengers who signal a fever as they walk past this scanner will be asked to have a secondary temperature screening done with an infrared, handheld, no-touch thermometer," said Gonchar.

Those safety protocols go above and beyond what the state is requiring, but Inslee argues it was still necessary for the state to implement the new protocols across Washington, to make up for the lack of national regulation on air travel from the federal government.

"I have previously written to the national government, asking for a uniform, federal standard, to protect workers and the traveling public in aviation" Inslee said. "Unfortunately, the administration has refused to issue such uniform standards."

Inslee's concern was echoed by other speakers at the conference.

"What we really need is a uniform, national approach to airport health and safety," said Lance Lyttle, Managing Director for the Port of Seattle's Aviation Division. "Absent that national approach however, we are all stepping up to show leadership and ensuring the traveling public enjoy a safe and healthy air travel experience."

Finally, while air travel is allowed in and out of Washington state, health experts say it still should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. The Centers for Disease Control warns that airline travel is just one other way you can expose yourself to the coronavirus, or spread it to others:

Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase your risk of getting COVID-19.

The CDC also says that those who are sick or who have been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 14 days should not travel under any circumstances.

The CDC's guidance recommends that all travelers:

• Wear a mask or facial covering in public settings.
• Avoid close contact by keeping a physical distance of at least 6 feet or more.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.