PHOTO: Delta Boeing 767-332ER taxiing towards the airport runway. (Photo via CaronB/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)
Delta Air Lines has been leading the way in terms of health and safety amid the coronavirus pandemic but the airline continues to look for new ways to promote cleanliness, announcing this week that it will become the first U.S. airline to install hand sanitizer stations onboard each of its aircraft. Beginning Friday with the carrier's Boeing 757-200 fleet and pending final FAA approval, Delta will install the stations equipped with PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer near the boarding door and bathrooms on every one of its aircraft. Depending on aircraft size, each Delta aircraft will have up to five separate hand sanitizer stations. AIRLINES & AIRPORTS In addition to the hand sanitizer stations, Delta said that passengers will also notice flight attendants wiping down high-touch surfaces in lavatories frequently during each flight as well as hands-free features once inside. Travelers flying on Delta's A350s, A330-900neos, 767-400s and 757-200s will find touchless faucets, flush levers and waste lids. What's more, hand-washing reminders have already been installed on more than 130 Delta planes, with every aircraft in the carrier's fleet soon featuring hand-washing reminders inside of their lavatories. Like many competitors, Delta continues to use electrostatic sprayers to ensure that every interior surface is thoroughly sanitized prior to boarding. "Over the past few months, our customer satisfaction scores have skyrocketed by double digits, including those for onboard lavatory cleanliness," said Delta's Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch in a statement. "But that's not stopping us from going even further to make sure customers feel safe and comfortable when they travel with Delta." Last week, Delta announced that it would continue blocking middle seats and limiting the number of passengers permitted on board each flight through at least January 6, 2021.