President Of Air Line Pilots Association Joins CBS3 To Discuss How Pandemic Has Hit Airlines Industry

Jim Donovan reports.

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE.THOUSANDS OF PLANES GROUNDED,AS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMICCONTINUES TO GO ACROSS THECOUNTRY, HITTING AIRLINESESPECIALLY HARD, THE HEAD OFTHE NATION'S LARGEST PILOTSUNION WANTS AIRLINES TO ADOPTSAFETY PROTOCOLS THOUGH BEFORERESUMING BUSINESS AS USUAL.JOINING ME THIS MORNING BYZOOM CAPTAIN JOE, PRESIDENT OFTHE AIRLINES PILOTSASSOCIATION.THANKS, JOE FOR JOINING US.JIM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH IAPPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME THEOPPORTUNITY TO COME SPEAK TOYOUR LISTENERS.AT THIS POINT LET ME ASKYOU HOW MANY OF YOUR MEMBERSOR PILOTS DO YOU KNOW THATHAVE BEEN TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19.WE HAVE HAD OVER 300PILOTS.WE BELIEVE WE'RE TESTING ABOUTTHE AVERAGE RIGHT NOW.WE HAVE DEEP CONCERNS ABOUTTHAT.WE HAVE ALSO HAD THREE DEATHSTO DATE AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT ISA CONCERN.SO LET ME ASK YOU AREAIRLINES ALERTING OTHER CREWMEMBERS THAT ARE COMING INCONTACT WITH THESE PILOTS, ARETHEY TELLING PASSENGERS LIKEIS WHAT THE PROTOCOL HERE.RIGHT, WE JUST GOT TO THEHEART OF THE QUESTION HERE ANDWHY I'M ON TODAY.RIGHT NOW THAT THERE IS A SETOF GUIDELINES PUT OUT BY THEFAA.THEY ARE BASICALLY CDCGUIDELINES BUT WHAT WE NEEDEDTO DO WAS TO HAVE THE FAA DOTHEIR JOB AS A REGULATORS ASWE DO OUR JOB AS PILOTS ANDMANDATE THOSE RULES.IT MAKES NO SENSE IN DEALINGWITH THE PANDEMIC TO HAVE AVARYING PATCHWORK OFCOMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF THEAIRLINES.SOME AIRLINES REALLY DO JOB,SOME AIRLINES DO NOT SUCH AGREAT JOB.VIRUS DOESN'T CARE WHETHER YOUDID A GOOD JOB IN ONE AREA ANDHAVE A GAPING HOLE IN THEOTHER, RIGHT.WE NEED A MANDATEDSTANDARDIZED APPROACH TODEALING WITH THE COVID CRISIS.THE CDC IS RECOMMENDINGPEOPLE STAY 6 FEET APART FROMONE ANOTHER.YOU CANNOT DO THAT IN THECOCKPIT.WHAT DO YOU ADVISE YOUR PILOTSTO DO.IS THERE A SET OFGUIDELINES WE ARE LOOKING FORRIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE BEENASKING FOR.WE'RE SENTENCE EMPLOYEES TOKEEP THE FLOW OF GOODS ANDSERVICES COMING OVER FROMCHINA FOR INSTANCE, ALL OF THEVENTILATORS AND EVERYTHINGLIKE THAT.WE HAVE TO TAKE EXTRAPRECAUTIONS.SO NOW WE'RE ASKING FORINCREASED AMOUNT OF PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, WE AREASKING FOR TESTS, RIGHT,TESTING TO BE DONE ON AREGULAR BASIS.CLEANING, DISINFECTING OURAIRCRAFT ON A REGULAR BASIS.ALL THIS WILL GET A LONG WAYTO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OFTHE VIRUS.YOU SAID PATCHWORK.AIRLINES A FEW DAYS AGO SAIDPASSENGERS HAVE TO WEAR MASK,FRONTIER SAID THEY WERING TOGO CHARGE PEOPLE TO KEEP THESEAT EMPTY IN THE MIDDLE.ARE THESE THINGS TOO LITTLETOO LATE AT THIS POINT.THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT,RIGHT.I AGREE THEY SHOULD HAVE DONETHIS EARLIER.WE STARTED WAY BACK INMID-JANUARY, WE SAW THISCOMING FROM EUROPE EVEN WHENPEOPLE WERE TELLING US ITWASN'T A WIG DEAL.WE HEARD CERTAIN PEOPLE SAYINGAT OFFICES THAT THIS WAS NOTAS SERIOUS AS IT IS BUT WESTARTED TO WORK WITH OURCARRIERS TO DEVELOP AGREEMENTSTO HELP CURTAIL THE SPREAD OFTHE DISEASE AND TO ADJUSTOURSELVES IN TERMS OF THEMANNING LEVELS.IT IS REALLY SERIOUS.WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR HERE ISSOMETHING I'M USED TO AS APILOT AND AS A FORMER MARINEIT IS CALLED LEADERSHIP.LEADERSHIP IN THE CRISIS.YOU CANNOT DO THIS IN A WHACKA MOLD STYLE YOU HAVE TOATTACK THIS WITH A STANDARDICE ADD APPROACH.IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE PLAYINGHOT POTATO THEY ARE PASSING TOIT DIFFERENT AGENCIES SAYINGIT IS SOMEONE ELSESRESPONSIBILITY.NO, IT IS NOT.LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION IWAS A FLIGHT A TENANTS IN THE80'S AND 90'S BEFORE GETNOTHING TO NEWS FULL-TIME SOMEONE WOULD COUGH, SNEEZE ROW 15AND TWO DAYS LATER I CAME DOWNWITH A BUG.I KNEW IT WAS COMING.WHAT DID PEOPLE, PASSENGERSHAVE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THEENVIRONMENT INSIDE THE PLANE.WHAT ARE WEEING TOKING DOTO RESTORE CONFIDENT, RIGHTFOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO FLYRIGHT NOW.WE ARE MOVING PEOPLE, HEALTHCARE WORKERS BACK AND FOR THETO HOT SPOTS ALL AROUND ANDTHERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TOTRAVEL.SO THE BASIC THING WOULD BE WENEED PEOPLE TO WEARING MASKS.WE THINK MASK, WE HAVE STUDIEDAIR FLOW IN THESE AIRCRAFT.AIR FLOW INSIDE AN AIRPLANECAN BE HELPFUL IN SOME WAYSAND CURTAILING THIS IF YOUWEAR A MASK.THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.ALSO, THERE IS TALK ABOUTTESTING, RIGHT.NONINVASIVE NON-TOUCH TESTINGUSING TEMPERATURE GUNS ANDTHINGS LIKE.THAT I REMEMBER THAT DURINGSARS EPIDEMIC, WE HAD TO HAVETESTING LIKE THAT GOING ON.SO THERE IS A WAY TO DO THISSMART AND THERE IS A WAY TO DOTHIS SAFE.REMEMBER, PILOTS WE MAKEDECISION WHETHER IT IS SAFE TOFLY EVERY SINGLE DAY.FACT THOSE AIRPLANES ARETAKING OFF MEANS IT ISBASICALLY SAFE, OKAY, BUTQUESTION IS THIS, ARE WE DOINGALL WE CAN, RIGHT.ARE WE ELIMINATING ALL OF THERISKS.HERE'S WHAT IT IS, RIGHT NOWBECAUSE FAA REFUSE TOSS ACT WEHAVE ADDITIONAL UNNECESSARYAND PREVENTABLE RISK AND THATIS UNACCEPTABLE.YOU KNOW WHAT AS A RESULTPEOPLE ARE NOT BOOKINGFLIGHTS.THEY ARE SITTING THERE SAYINGI'MING TO GO STAY HOME.LOOKING INTO YOUR CRYSTALBALL.YEAH.WHEN DO YOU SEE THISPROBABLY RETURNING TO NORMALIF AND WHEN.I MEAN WE ARE GETTING SAMEINFORMATION AS YOU.WE HAVE A BUN SEVEN OF MEDICALPEOPLE ON OUR STAFF AND WE GETBRIEFED ALL THE TIME AND THEYARE IN CONTACT, THROUGH THEINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATIONORGANIZATION.WE'RE EVEN INVOLVED IN THAT.THERE IS SO MUCH WE DON'T KNOWABOUT THIS VIRUS AND I THINKWE WILL LEARN MORE AND MORE ASWE GO ON BUT I KNOW WHAT WECAN DO RIGHT NOW, WITH THEINFORMATION THAT WE HAVE RIGHTNOW, AND WE JUST NEED TO BE ONOUR TOES AS LEADERS AND MAKESURE THIS GETS IMPLEMENTED.AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION HASA PLAN.IT IS CALLED A PUBLIC SAFETYCORRIDOR, RIGHT.WHERE YOU COME INTO AN AIRPORTTHAT IS PREPARED, YOU GET ON AAIRPLANE DISINFECT ANDPREPARE.YOU HAVE FLIGHT CREWS THATHAVE BEEN TESTED AND HAVEPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.IT IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH YOUCANNOT DO THIS IN A PIECEMEALWAY.WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING