Last week, Air Canada and Westjet announced they’d be ending physical distancing on flights, with plans to resume filling up flights as per usual as of July 1st.
Canadian singer, songwriter, actor and all-around national treasure Jann Arden is among the many Canadians to take issue with the airlines’ new stance, given that federal guidelines relating to the COVID-19 pandemic still recommend physical distancing by remaining at least two metres away from other people while in public.
Arden took to Twitter on Tuesday to share her thoughts, blasting the airlines as “so completely irresponsible… packing your flights is both dangerous and counter intuitive to social distancing practices.”
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As she pointed out, “The numbers will go up. It’s too soon and you’re endangering your passengers.”
Hey @AirCanada and @WestJet you guys are both so completely irresponsible… packing your flights is both dangerous and counter intuitive to social distancing practices. The numbers will go up. It’s too soon and you’re endangering your passengers.
— jann arden (@jannarden) June 30, 2020
A few minutes later, she continued with another tweet, pointing out that the airlines seem to think that being “SIX INCHES APART” isn’t a health risk in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
“You’re endangering your flight attendants as well as your passengers by going with full flights,” she wrote.
Apparently @AirCanada and @WestJet think You only need to be SIX INCHES APART. You’re endangering your flight attendants as well as your passengers by going with full flights.
— jann arden (@jannarden) June 30, 2020
She also asked her Twitter followers to take a poll to see if they felt that it’s safe to fly right now. At time of writing, more than 4,500 votes were tallied, with 94 per cent of respondents voting that they would not feel safe flying right now.
Would you feel safe taking a flight anywhere right now?
— jann arden (@jannarden) June 30, 2020
Here’s how Arden’s followers responded to her tweets.
Passengers endanger themselves. Only a dummy would get on one of those flights right now.
— Mike Duff (@HarryBalzac12) June 30, 2020
I booked a flight exactly a week ago and was more than assured the middle seat would be blocked! They lied #WestJet
— Barb Pye (@hulabarb) June 30, 2020
Dear Westjet and AirCanada. Remember the cruise industry. It did not work out well for them when they put greed ahead of safety.
— Bruce McCloy (@bruce_mccloy) June 30, 2020
When your business model is literally squeezing as many people into the same space as possible and charging extras for everything including space, are you really that surprised they’re pulling this? #ProfitsOverSafety
— Heather C Button (@quirkycity) June 30, 2020
All dollars and no sense 🤦🏻♀️ $$$
— Sonya (@sonyatulk) June 30, 2020
