While COVID-19 continues to create concerns for passengers in the United States, President Donald Trump has vowed to help airlines during their struggles. The outbreak of the virus has caused a massive shift in the aviation market but the politician has shared that he will assist the affected carriers.

Delta Air Lines
Delta received $5.4 billion in government aid in April. Photo: Getty Images

Working together

The New York Post reports that Trump held a meeting with some of the executives that head the nation's top health insurance companies. During the talks, he shared that his government is working closely with the cruise line industry and aviation industry. Moreover, he shared his admiration for airlines amid the outbreak.

“They’re taking very, very strong steps for people coming into our country, even getting off the planes. So we are working very closely with them, we’re helping them," Trump said, as reported by the New York Post.

"They’re two great industries and we’ll be helping them through this patch, and so far I think it’s been going very well."

United Airlines Denver
Sale and leaseback agreements are nothing new in the industry. Photo: Getty Images

Crucial role

Airlines have been at the forefront of the outbreak for months but US-based carriers are now more affected than ever. Firms have been forced to cut several flights due to the drop in demand. Furthermore, their staff members have had to take on extra responsibilities in order to maintain smooth operations amid passenger hysteria.

Additionally, several airlines have a role to play when it comes to passenger data and testing related to the outbreak. In fact, CNN reports that executives have been clashing with officials due to ambitious targets being set to collect new kinds of data from passengers to help track potential carriers of the virus.

However, Trump recognizes their efforts and has offered his support to the operators during their battles. His team recently met with airline executives to discuss the impact of the outbreak as well as tactics to help handle the situation.

Early on in the pandemic, suspected cases of infection were transported from Turkish Airlines flights directly to health care facilities. Photo: Getty Images

Busy schedule

Political discussions about the role of airlines haven't been as open compared with other countries across North America and Europe. However, Trump realizes the role that they play in the current climate, along with the considerable economical impact.

This week, Trump summarized his stance with the following, as reported by NPR:

"We are going to take care of and have been taking care of the American public and the American economy,"

Altogether, the president has been hands-on with his approach to handle the coronavirus spread across the United States. He has met with key figures such as aviation executives as well as health officials while publicly sharing details of the discussions.

What are your thoughts on how the White House and airlines are working together amid the coronavirus outbreak? How has your passenger experience been since the spread? Let us know what you think in the comment section.