Southwest CEO says it's safe to fly again

The CEO of Southwest, one of the largest US air companies, insisted Sunday that travellers could again fly in safety and added that air traffic, nearly paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic, was gradually reviving. Asked on CBS whether it was again safe to fly, Gary Kelly replied, "It is. We're doing everything possible to encourage people to come back and fly." He said his airline was taking a number of safety precautions: passengers and crew members will be required to wear masks; planes will receive deep cleaning between flights; and some seats will be left empty to allow a degree of social distancing. "I don't think the risk on an airplane is any greater risk than anywhere else," Kelly said. "You look at the layered approach that we use, it's as safe as any environment you're going to find." Kelly said he believes the worst has passed for the industry. "I think we've seen the bottom here," he said. "Each week after the first week of April has gotten successively better. I don't think June will be a good month, but... we're looking forward to July and August." He acknowledged, however, that things remain in flux. There are bookings in place, but those could easily be cancelled," he said. "It is one day at a time."<br/>