Airbus Americas CEO says state travel restrictions ‘not helpful,’ urges consequences for no masks on board

A patchwork of government travel restrictions is “not helpful” to revitalizing air travel demand devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, the top US executive at aircraft manufacturer Airbus said Thursday. The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are now asking travellers arriving from a host of states including Florida and Texas that have posted rising numbers of Covid-19 cases to quarantine for 14 days. Some of the states took similar measures earlier this year for travelers coming from New York as cases were spiking in the state. “This is not helpful. When there are restrictions by state it creates obstacles,” Airbus Americas CEO Jeff Knittel said. “The fact is we can only control so much. Our job is to create the safest environment possible for the passengers so when they’re ready to fly ... and give them the comfort they expect from us and will receive from us.” Knittel praised airlines for a raising cash recently, calling it a smart choice to bolster their balance sheets amid low interest rates to counter the pandemic’s impact on revenue. American, Delta and United are among the carriers that have recently sold debt or equity.<br/>