Jacob Ogles
Allegiant Air will start providing complimentary face masks and gloves to passengers.
Chief Operating Officer Scott Sheldon stressed the airline’s top focus right now remains safety. The executive outlined measures the company will take to limit spread of COVID-19 even as mass travel resumes.
“Beginning this week, we will be providing complimentary personal health and safety kits to all passengers as they board their Allegiant flights,” he wrote.
“These kits include a single-use face mask, a pair of non-latex disposable gloves and cleaning wipes. This program will be rolled out across our system this week, so watch for it on your upcoming Allegiant flight.”
The procedures will impact many passengers flying in or out of the state of Florida. The airline provides service at airports in Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Walton Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, Punta Gorda, Sarasota and Tampa. In some of those smaller destinations like Punta Gorda, the airline provides a sizable portion of the service.
Besides the protective gear being offered directly to passengers, Sheldon outlines ways the airline keeps its planes sanitary. That includes regularly disinfecting aircraft to standards exceeding those set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or recommended by manufacturer Airbus. Surfaces will also be protected on planes using an advanced antimicrobial protectant that kills viruses and bacteria for 14 days.
AS anxieties rise about the transmission of the coronavirus by air, Sheldon also offer details about the recirculation systems on flights.
“We’ve raised the bar by setting new standards for air purity and adopting a low-touch service approach, limiting unnecessary personal contact and shared items,” he wrote.
“The air quality on board our planes exceeds HEPA standards, thanks to state-of-the art VOC filtration, which removes additional organic compounds from the air to help keep you healthy. On average, cabin air is changed entirely every three minutes through a continuous flow of fresh and VOC-filtered air.”
Allegiant Air has also applied social distancing during boarding and leaving aircraft. That includes only seating people in every other row. Allegiant has also encouraged individuals not to book middle seats, allowing those to be free for families flying together.
“The coming weeks and months will undoubtedly bring many changes, as communities across the country begin the process of safely reopening, and events and occasions we’ve all been looking forward to are rescheduled,” Sheldon wrote. “As your plans develop, please know we’ll be with you on your journey, seeing you safely on your way.”
