While COVID-19 is requiring many to shelter in place, airlines are spreading the virus by continuing to operate flights. TSA workers, gate agents, pilots, and flight attendants are risking their lives to get planes off the ground that are carrying fewer than 10 people at times for "essential flying." Essential flying should be considered aircrafts carrying medical equipment and medical personnel, yet many of these planes are transporting people who are still traveling for pleasure. Companies are encouraging crewmembers to go to work through daily emails reminding them that they are exempt from curfews and Stay at Home orders. New York has the highest concentration of COVID-19 cases and yet Flight Attendants and Pilots are not required to quarantine when leaving NY (like the CDC has requested of other travelers leaving the area).

Some airlines are not offering hazard pay, added PTO, or any other incentive for working during this unprecedented time. Temporary leave options are awarded to a limited few. Those not senior enough to take advantage of leave programs have no other option but to work. Many airline employees personally know coworkers who have been hospitalized due to the virus, but airlines are hiding their infections from their employees and the public. Already, an American Airlines flight attendant has died due to COVID-19 and a JetBlue flight attendant's video from her hospital bed has gone viral, as she begs her fellow flight attendants to stop going to work.

Airlines have taken half measures towards combating the virus. It is abundantly clear now that this virus is airborne - additional cleaning measures are not enough. Sitting in a metal tube with strangers for hours on end greatly increases the risk of virus transmission. There are preventable deaths to come unless these airlines ground their flights. No one should put a price on a human life, but by continuing to operate, the airlines are doing just that. Please sign this petition to make a change, asking airlines to halt flying until this pandemic is under control.