A woman who flew from New York to North Carolina over the weekend says she was “stunned” to find the flight packed with people in what she sees as a clear violation of social distancing regulations.
Erin Strine, who was traveling to Raleigh to be with her family following the death of her grandmother, says New York’s JFK Airport was largely vacant when she arrived to board her flight; however, the inside of the plane was quite the opposite. Posting video of the nearly-full flight on social media, Strine — who was sandwiched between two strangers in a middle seat — said she feared for her health because of the “unsafe” environment.
In response to the post, American Airlines has released a statement that touts the company’s meticulous cleaning procedure that occurs between flights. “In response to our employees’ concerns about COVID-19, we have expanded our cleaning procedures to ensure high-touch areas are cleaned more frequently and have introduced procedures to ensure employees maintain proper distance from others and follow all CDC recommendations for personal hygiene,” the airline notes.
