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Airlines

Delta Air Lines CEO says airline will continue blocking middle seats beyond September, 'but not forever'

Delta has started to add more flights to the schedule

By Alexandra Deabler Fox News
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Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on a call Tuesday that the airline would continue to keep middle seats empty beyond Sept. 30, but warned the policy would not last “forever.”

BANNING MIDDLE SEAT ON PLANES COULD CUT CORONAVIRUS RISK ON FLIGHTS ALMOST IN HALF: MIT REPORT

In the earnings call with Wall Street analysts, Bastian claimed blocking the middle seats was “the No. 1 reason why customers are choosing Delta,” USA Today reported.

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The airline has started to add more flights to the schedule, with 1,000 reportedly scheduled to be added in August, to offset the fewer seats available to book as summer travel demand sees an uptick.

The airline has started to add more flights to the schedule, with 1,000 reportedly scheduled to be added in August, to offset the fewer seats available to book as summer travel demand sees an uptick. (Istock)

The major carrier will be the first to extend its policy beyond September and possibly through the end of 2020, though no hard date was set. Bastian did confirm the blocks will not continue forever.

"Everyone appreciates it’s not going to last forever,'' he said, the outlet reported, "but in the face of a health crisis that space onboard really matters and customers are telling (us) that.''

The airline has started to add more flights to the schedule, with 1,000 reportedly scheduled to be added in August, to offset the fewer seats available to book as summer travel demand sees an uptick.

Bastian claims there has been no “instances that we've been aware of where there's been any transmission onboard our planes.”

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Delta brought in $1.5 billion in revenue this year, compared to the $12.5 billion the year before.

Other airlines have made a commitment to blocking the middle seat into September. JetBlue recently announced it will be keeping the middle seat empty until after Labor Day.

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United and American Airlines have both begun booking full capacity flights.