Delta to collect information on international passengers for the CDC

Delta said Thursday that it would assist federal coronavirus contact tracing efforts, becoming the first airline to do so after the industry spent years resisting government requests for help. Starting Dec. 15, Delta will ask all passengers flying into the United States to voluntarily provide their names, email addresses, destination addresses and phone numbers — information that it will share with the CDC. “We want customers to feel safe when they return to travel, and this voluntary program is another way we can provide additional reassurance to customers and employees alike,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s chief customer experience officer. For more than a decade, the US government has pressured airlines to collect such information to help contain contagious viruses. But the industry had rebuffed those requests, saying that it would be too expensive and time-consuming. Earlier this year, airlines helped to thwart a Trump administration effort to require such data collection, even as Congress approved $50b in aid for passenger airlines. <br/>