Frontier Airlines on Thursday said it would require temperature checks for passengers and crew before boarding planes, becoming the first U.S. carrier to announce the health screenings in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
As of June 1, customers will be checked with touchless thermometers prior to boarding, according to the Denver-based airline. Anyone with a temperature reading of 100.4 degrees or higher will be given time to rest and, if flight time allows, re-screened. If the passenger’s temperature again is high, the customer won’t be allowed to board.
“This new step during the boarding process, coupled with face coverings and elevated disinfection procedures, will serve to provide Frontier customers an assurance that their well-being is our foremost priority and we are taking every measure to help them travel comfortably and safely,” Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said in a statement.
Frontier said passengers blocked from flying will be rebooked. Airline employees will also undergo the same checks and restrictions. Results from the temperature checks will not be recorded, according to the company’s announcement. In New Jersey, Frontier operates from Newark Liberty International Airport and Trenton-Mercer Airport.
Biffle, Frontier’s chief, joined Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly in calling for the Transportation Security Administration to conduct temperature checks during standard airport screenings.
“In the meantime, Frontier intends to conduct its own temperature screenings until such a plan is put in place,” Biffle said.
In a statement, the TSA said no decisions have been made about specific health screenings at airports.
“TSA continues to rely on the health expertise of [Health and Human Services] and the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. Ongoing discussions with our DHS and interagency colleagues, as well as our airport and airline partners, will enable the agency to make informed decisions with regard to the health and safety of the aviation environment,” the agency said. “The safety and security of the traveling public and our employees will always be our top priority.”
Frontier’s announcement came a day after the airline scrapped plans to charge passengers an extra $39 for an empty middle seat next to them.
While fever is a known symptom of COVID-19, health experts have raised concerns that the virus can be spread by people who are asymptomatic.
Frontier also joined other major airlines in requiring passengers to wear face coverings starting Friday.
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Noah Cohen can be reached at [email protected].
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