A Virgin Australia cabin crew member who had contact with passengers on an undisclosed flight has been diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus and is currently in isolation after she recently returned from travel overseas, the airline’s CEO confirms.
In a press conference this morning, Virgin Australia CEO and managing director Paul Scurrah confirmed that the staff member had contact with the public as part of their cabin crew role, and upon developing symptoms they had immediately self-reported to the airline.
“I can confirm that we have a cabin crew member who has been diagnosed with coronavirus,” he said.
“I spoke to her not long ago and she’s in good spirits and well, and soon to go into self-isolation. She recently got back from overseas and was feeling unwell and decided to self-report.”
Scurrah also said that Virgin Australia is working with health authorities to make sure protocols are followed and all passengers who are possibly at risk from exposure are contacted and treated appropriately.
He also confirmed that the affected plane – which he refused to identify – has gone through the cleaning procedures the airline has been required to do, and they have adhered to all the protocols required by local health authorities.
Scurrah also confirmed that Virgin Australia has implemented “capacity cuts” which affects majority of the international routes. He said that routes to Japan have been reduced to three days a week, and the Sydney to Los Angeles service has been slashed from a seven-day frequency down to five. He also recognised that the current airline travel situation is “fluid” and said that he meets with his leadership team to assess the impact and make further decisions if needed.
Scurrah also said that he believes the Virgin Australia airline will not risk going under due to the current travel concerns.
