Narayan AmmachchiJetBlue Airways, a US low-cost carrier that flies to numerous destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean, says that it’s losing US$10 million every day since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the air traffic to a grinding halt.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the airlines CEO Robin Hayes confirmed that there had been a slight uptick in bookings in the past few days as countries have started to reopen their economies, at least partially.
However, JetBlue expects to operate at 25% to 30% capacity during the month of June.
Considering his comments, all air carriers are planning to resume operations by putting strict sanitary and social distancing measures in place.
Wearing masks will be mandatory for both crew members and customers, says the CEO, adding that aircraft will be disinfected frequently. The carriers want government officials to conduct temperature checks on passengers boarding and getting off the flights.
Unlike Latin American carriers, JetBlue will not file for bankruptcy, nor will it furlough or lay off any of its employees, as it has received US$935 million financial aid from the US government.
JetBlue has not disclosed how many of its crew members have been infected with the virus but confirmed that six of its employees had unfortunately lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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