Former United CEO Oscar Munoz is sticking with his long-time peers in the airline industry that safety is a top priority during the pandemic, even if that means you have to wear a mask on a plane or employees must be vaccinated. Shared Munoz, "This is an industry where no good deed goes unpunished. There are so many viewpoints that it is hard to sort of measure everything. At United — which is all I can speak of with my successor and all those folks — the concept has always been about human safety. When you develop a principle that is paramount, that's what drives the conversations and decisions around that. So everything that we have done at United is about safety." The commentary comes after Munoz's successor as CEO of United Airlines — Scott Kirby — was grilled by Senator Ted Cruz (at a hearing of airline industry leaders last week. United has decided to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for workers, which Cruz insisted is causing job loss for those in his home state of Texas. United competitors Delta and Southwest have not implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for workers. Masks wearing remains in place for all air travel, per federal law.<br/>
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The EC approved E2.55b of restructuring aid for TAP intended to help the ailing Portuguese airline become viable. The EC also approved E107.1m to compensate the Lisbon-based carrier for damages suffered as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it said in a statement on its website Tuesday. Faced with the prospect of TAP collapsing, Portugal’s government began providing aid to TAP last year after the carrier had to halt most of its operations due to the coronavirus outbreak. It also increased its stake in TAP SGPS, the holding company that controls TAP, to 72.5% from 50% after buying airline entrepreneur David Neeleman’s stake in the company. “The approved restructuring plan for TAP will ensure the airline’s path towards long-term viability,” EC Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. Under the plan, TAP will need to adopt the following actions: Split its businesses into separate airlines TAP Air Portugal and Portugalia; Divest certain non-core assets in the course of the restructuring, including subsidiaries in the maintenance business in Brazil, catering and ground handling; Implement measures to increase competition at the Lisbon airport, where it has a large presence; and make available up to 18 slots per day at Lisbon airport to a competing carrier Additionally, TAP SGPS and TAP Air Portugal won’t be allowed to make acquisitions and will reduce its fleet until the end of the restructuring plan, the commission said.<br/>