As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the US, travelers are still not federally required to wear a mask on a passenger jet. But Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the government should make it a mandate. He's not optimistic, however, that a national mask requirement will happen. The airline industry has not issued a strong collective message asking the government to take that step, Bastian said. "We've had those discussions with the White House," he said. "I feel strongly about it," Bastian added. "But I'm not sure some of my peers and other airlines feel the same way. So as a practical matter, I'm not sure it's gonna happen." The vast majority — "99.9%," Bastian said — of Delta fliers are following the rules. But for the passengers that don't comply, enforcing the rule is tricky. "I think I can speak for corporate America: We're all frustrated with the politicization of safeguarding the health and well-being of our employees, as well as our customers," Bastian said. He added that most Delta customers have been respectful when asked to wear a face covering. "We ask our customers to wear the mask, not only to safeguard themselves, but just as importantly safeguard others," Bastian said. Delta's Covid-19 policies have been among the industry's strongest. Delta has said it will keep all middle seats empty on its planes at least through the end of September, parting ways with American Airlines and United, which have said that move does not keep passengers safer. Bastion said Delta consulted with medical experts at the Mayo Clinic and Emory University in its decision making. "I think it's a really important safety feature," he said. "Distance matters."<br/>
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Bridgeport’s mayor is suing Delta over a dog bite he says he suffered on a flight. A suit filed in state Superior Court alleges Mayor Joe Ganim was sitting in his seat on a Delta flight in November 2018 when he was bitten by a dog that was accompanying a boarding passenger. The New Haven Register reports the suit alleges Ganim suffered “serious, severe, painful and permanent injuries” to his lower left leg and that he was forced to undergo a series of rabies shots because the airline didn’t provide details on the dog’s medical history or contact information for the animal's owner. Delta "failed to safeguard the plaintiff from unwarranted harm by allowing a dog neither crated nor muzzled to walk freely on and within the cabin of the plane,” according to the suit. The suit seeks unspecified damages.<br/>
The High Court of Kenya ordered the national carrier to temporarily freeze job cuts pending a full hearing of the matter. The case will be heard on July 16, Judge Hellen Wasilwa said in an judgment on Friday. The Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union sought the action against Kenya Airways after the airline’s chief executive officer, Allan Kilavuka, earlier this month told staff that the company will embark on a three-month round of job reductions. The airline’s shares have been suspended on the Nairobi stock exchange as the government debates a bill to nationalize the carrier and amid losses related to travel restrictions because of the coronavirus.<br/>