Top American Airlines, United and Delta have announced their own protective measures against the Zika virus. Pregnant crew or those who want to be pregnant can opt not to take on Zika-hit routes.
Reuters reported that these airlines are not only oncerned for their passengers' safety, but also for the well-being of their staff and crew. In an internal memo dated Jan. 28, the company stated that expectant as well as seeking to become pregnant flight attendants can with routes to avoid Zika-affected regions without repercussions on their careers. Examples of these routes are Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to Charles Hobart, the spokesperson for parent United Continental Holdings, Inc. pilots are also given the option to switch routes. "The safety of our employees and customers is paramount, and we are providing this option because it's the right thing to do," Hobart said.
The spokesperson for Delta Air Lines Inc., Morgan Durrant, shared their company has the same policies in place. He revealed that some crew members already took on the privilege to swap trips.
According to Sara Nelson, the International president of the Association of Flight Attendants- CWA, this goes to show that airlines have immediate care for their members' health. "This issue is changing at a fairly rapid pace, (and) it's important that those updates are ongoing," she said.
She added that compared to the outbreak of Ebola in 2014, airlines are much quicker now in responding to their employees' concerns.
It seems that the World Health Organization's recent declaration of Zika virus as a global health crisis is effective in making companies more aware of the issue. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also asked people, particularly those who are pregnant or pregnancy-related plans, to postpone their trips to these affected areas as they try to mobilize research and assistance to manage the virus.