Delta Air Lines is to become the first US carrier to introduce contact tracing for passengers returning to the country from abroad.
Travellers will be asked to voluntarily provide five pieces of data to aid contact tracing and public health follow-up efforts.
The airline is partnering with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep international customers informed of potential Covid-19 exposure through contact tracing.
Information being sought include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Address in the U.S.
- Primary phone
- Secondary phone
The airline last week announced a transatlantic Covid-19 testing scheme between Atlanta and Rome to enable quarantine-free entry into Italy.
Contact-tracing information collection will be mandatory for all passengers flying to the US on the Rome service.
“This pilot and our ongoing contact-tracing efforts are crucial steps to resuming international travel safely,” Delta said.
Chief customer experience officer Bill Lentsch said: “Independent studies have shown that the many layers of protection Delta has already put in place are effectively minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission, and contact tracing adds one more important layer to our efforts to ensure safety throughout travel.
“We want customers to feel safe when they return to travel, and this voluntary programme is another way we can provide additional reassurance to customers and employees alike.”