The U.S. economy is opening back up, but what’s considered normal during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is quite different from the old normal -- especially for air travelers.

On Monday, Frontier Airlines began temperature screenings using a contactless thermometer “for all passengers and team members prior to boarding flights,” the carrier said in a statement.

Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be denied boarding. (Passengers with high temperatures will be given a second reading after a “rest” period, if time allows.)

“The health and safety of everyone flying Frontier is paramount, and temperature screenings add an additional layer of protection for everyone onboard,” Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said in the release.

Biffle also said he believes all passengers should be screened before they come through airport security, but the federal Transportation Security Administration has no such policy in place.

Denver-based Frontier, with various routes to and from Portland, was the first U.S. carrier to announce passenger temperature screenings, travel-advice website The Points Guy reports.

The airline industry is among the hardest hit by the deadly pandemic, with the number of passengers plummeting after states began imposing emergency stay-at-home orders in March.

Airlines are now trying to find ways to ensure safety and peace of mind for their passengers. At the beginning of May, JetBlue became the first U.S. carrier to require passengers to wear face coverings, and most other airlines -- including Frontier -- quickly followed suit.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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