United promises to leave no covid-infected pilot behind

United Airlines has developed a comprehensive plan to “extract” sick, or possibly sick, pilots from foreign countries using airplanes without passengers, so pilots need not quarantine or receive treatment abroad unless absolutely necessary, according to an internal United employee memo on December 14. The memo was titled “International extraction procedure – COVID affected crew member.” As a giant pandemic rages, repatriation of crew members is a thorny issue at many passenger and cargo airlines. Pilots and flight attendants fear they might get stuck in a foreign country, at a subpar hotel, or worse, at a hospital or detention center. Pilot unions worry a crew member may test negative for Covid-19 before departure and then positive shortly after landing abroad. The Air Lines Pilots Association did not comment for this story, but it has been vocal about this danger. In July, the union said, three Federal Express pilots were “forced into mandated hospital facilities,” in Hong Kong after testing positive for the virus, while “several” others “were put into government camps under extremely difficult conditions.” Carriers generally have been receptive to pilot union concerns, because they don’t want to get in a position where pilots refuse to fly the few remaining lucrative long-haul routes. Most global airlines have plans to evacuate flight crew during coups, wars and terrorist attacks, and after natural disasters. But the United extraction plans seen by Skift are specific to this global pandemic, describing in detail where sick crew members may sit on board, which bathroom they may use, how they can eat during flights, and where they should dispose of their garbage. United has assigned an “extraction team,” to handle logistics, the memo states.<br/>