Frontier Airlines to begin passenger, employee temperature checks

The temperature checks will start June 1, the airline announced Thursday, marking the first carrier serving Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Passengers who record a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be allowed to board their flight.

“The health and safety of everyone flying Frontier is paramount and temperature screenings add an additional layer of protection for everyone onboard,” Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in a statement. “This new step during the boarding process, coupled with face coverings and elevated disinfection procedures, will serve to provide Frontier customers an assurance that their well-being is our foremost priority and we are taking every measure to help them travel comfortably and safely.”

Customers will be screened by touchless thermometers before boarding. If a customer’s temperature reading is 100.4 degrees or higher, they will be given time to rest, if the flight departure time allows.

The customer will then receive a second check and if the subsequent check is 100.4 degrees or higher, the customer will be told that they will not be flying that day for the health and safety of others.

Frontier will assist customers who are denied boarding in rebooking travel on a later date.

Frontier airport team members will not be allowed to work if their temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher at the start of their shift. Frontier will not maintain a record of the temperatures of passengers or team members.

Although Frontier is taking the initiative to screen passengers’ temperatures, Biffle noted that the company believes passengers should be screened as they are entering an airport by Transportation Security Administration agents.

TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said no decision has been made regarding specific health screening measures at airports.

“TSA continues to rely on the health expertise of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Dankers said. “Ongoing discussions with our Department of Homeland Security and interagency colleagues, as well as our airport and airline partners, will enable the agency to make informed decisions with regard to the health and safety of the aviation environment. The safety and security of the traveling public and our employees will always be our top priority.”

Frontier updated its boarding procedures in April to board passengers from the rear of the aircraft to the front and to encourage 6 feet of separation between passengers during the boarding process.

Additionally, beginning Friday, passengers are required to wear face coverings on all flights.

Frontier also has customers conduct a health acknowledgement prior to completing check-in via the company’s website or mobile app.

Passengers are required to confirm that:

— Neither they nor anyone in their household has exhibited coronavirus-related symptoms in the last 14 days.

— They will check their temperature before heading to the airport and will not travel if they have a fever.

— They will wash/sanitize their hands before boarding the flight.

— They understand the airline’s face covering policy.

Frontier also added a fogging disinfectant to its already enhanced aircraft cleaning and sanitation protocols. The fogging includes every surface in the passenger cabin and planes are wiped down every night with additional disinfectant.

In flight, the main cabin air is mixed with fresh air drawn from outside and that has passed through an air filtration system that features HEPA filters capable of capturing more than 99.7 percent of respiratory virus particles.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.