Delta Receives Diamond Health Safety Certification For Customer-Centric Practices
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Following its completion of the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying audit, Delta Air Lines has achieved a Diamond, “hospital-grade” certification. The carrier cross-referenced the audit’s ten-category, 58-point checklist against more than 100 measures it currently has in place to ensure a safer travel experience.
Delta’s Diamond-level Health Safety certification aligns with its continuous, organization-wide commitment to cleanliness and passenger safety that includes blocking middle seats to limit capacity onboard; the enforcement of its mask requirements; regular sanitization of surfaces; use of industrial-grade HEPA filters on its aircraft and scores more customer-centric processes and procedures.
“When it comes to safety, airlines do not compete. We all support one another in working to keep customers as safe as possible on their travels. With APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying, we look forward to openly sharing best practices to advance customer care,” said Mike Medeiros, VP Global Cleanliness, Delta Air Lines. “Keeping our people, our customers and our communities safe has never been more important. We have high hopes that vaccinations will tame the virus this year, but we know that the next few months will be difficult. We’ll continue to focus on our health and safety protocols, developed in collaboration with partners like Mayo Clinic and RB, the makers of Lysol, as we deepen our presence with teams of clean ambassadors at airports and deploy new and emerging innovations to remain both effective and efficient.”
Yesterday, Delta Vacations announced that through March 31, it would only sell international accommodations that guaranteed in-hotel COVID-19 testing, to make it easier for holiday-makers to comply with new CDC rules on pre-departure testing for international travelers. Earlier this week, the carrier also announced the appointment of Dr. Henry Ting as its first chief health officer. Ting has worked with Delta through his role at the Mayo Clinic since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, advising on employee testing, strategies for cleanliness and operational tactics to reduce the transmission of the virus.
“Delta Air Lines has raised the bar for health safety in the industry by doing things like introducing ATP devices to assess surface cleanliness and installing antimicrobial LED lighting above lavatory sinks and countertops, things which are overseen by a dedicated management team. Taking such hospital-grade measures in ensuring health safety will help bolster trust among travelers,” said SimpliFlying’s CEO, Shashank Nigam.
In recent months, Delta has also installed in-cabin hand sanitizer stations, provisioned Lysol Disinfecting Wipes to clean customer-facing areas at airports and on aircraft, worked with the TSA to ensure checkpoint cleanliness in airports nationwide and introduced antimicrobial bins at screening lanes across select Delta hubs. These and other efforts, including Delta’s commitment to implementing additional touchless features throughout the travel experience, were among those recognized by the certification audit.
“Delta Air Lines’ Diamond-level focus on continuously advancing customer health safety has been a shining example through COVID-19,” commented APEX/IFSA CEO, Dr. Joe Leader. “On behalf of your customers, sincere thanks to all of the airline professionals working harder than ever to keep passengers safe during COVID-19.”