Willie Walsh, chairman of the holding company for British Airways, told reporters Friday that teh spread of ebola has posed no threat to his airline's crews or passengers. File photo.
WASHINGTON — Top executives at American Airlines and British Airways said Friday that any fear over the spread of the ebola virus in America or Europe have had no impact on bookings at either airline.
Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of Fort Worth-based American Airlines, said there has been no evidence of cancellations or reduced bookings as a result of the Liberian man who flew to Dallas after being exposed to the disease in West Africa.
“We are extremely comfortable that all of the flights we are flying meet our own standards for safety personally,” Parker said. “We are in close contact with (Centers for Disease Control) and they tell us there is no issue whatsoever and if there was that they would certainly let us know.
“Obviously it’s an issue of concern that we continue to monitor and stay close to, but the experts tell us there is not an issue at all. Unlike some of the others, like SARS and others, this is not an airborne disease. Everyone is telling us, the experts tell us, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.”
American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker told reporters in Washington Friday that any fears over the spread of the ebola virus have had no impact on bookings. He said the airline is "extremely comfortable" that there is no risk to any of its crew or customers. Photo by Michael A. Lindenberger
He said he does not know whether federal officials will insist that airlines do additional screening for passengers whose flights originate from West Africa.
“I don’t know,” he said. “We certainly haven’t been told to do any additional screening.”
Parker met with reporters from the US, United Kingdom and Spain Friday in Washington, along with Willie Walsh, chairman of International Airlines Group, the holding company for British Airways.
The two airline chairmen were there to talk about how much stronger the One World partnership between the companies for trans-Atlantic flights has been now that American Airlines has merged with the former US Airways.
They said their market share for business travelers’ flights between the U.S. and western Europe has jumped as much as nine or 10 points.
In addition, Walsh said the new British Airways flights from London to Austin have been extremely successful. “It’s no secret that the two us are exploring other gates, other cities to expand to,” he said, though he declined to say which new routes might be on the table.
Walsh said European airlines have been dealing with concerns over ebola far longer than American ones, given that there is so much direct traffic between cities like London and the nations hardest hit with ebola cases.
But even so, he said health experts have repeatedly assured the airlines that there is no risk flying to and from the region.
“British Airways was flying into Liberia and Sierra Leone, which we stopped in early August,” Walsh said. “The reason we stopped was that demand on the route was obviously effected by outbreak of ebola, so it was very much a commercial decision.
“All of the medical advice we received was that there was no risk to us, in fact we were criticized by some government and health agencies for stopping flying because they felt it was an unnecessary decision on our part.
“I am not a health expert but I probably know more about ebola than I have ever known. … The situation today is clearly a tragedy for the countries involved, Liberia and Sierra Leone and the people. … The experience we have flying into the region and since we stopped flying there, is that the risk is very very low. This is a disease that can only spread through contact, direct contact with bodily fluids or secretions. … There has been no advice from any of the medical authorities stopping flying.”