Airlines and hotels around the world are pitching in to assist communities fighting the spread of coronavirus.  Among a variety of worthwhile efforts, some airlines are donating surplus food and meals to food banks.  Some hotels and hotel chains are donating rooms for use by essential employees.  In this post, I share my support for  the efforts of one airline and its overarching view of the best way to overcome the coronavirus pandemic that is turning our lives upside down.

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Singapore Airlines A350-900 at Changi Airport, Singapore

Singapore Airlines (SIA) clearly understands how to run a great airline.  I’ve witnessed that while flying with SIA in first class, business class and economy.

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Singapore Airlines Lobster Thermidor – 777-300 first class Seoul, Republic of Korea to Singapore

Singapore Airlines also gets it when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic.  Yesterday Singapore Airlines sent members of its KrisFlyer frequent flyer program an email update on the company’s activities during the current travel hiatus.

The update (1) expresses appreciation for healthcare workers, transport workers and others on the front lines of the fight against the virus, (2) describes the extraordinary actions of its employee volunteers, and (3) communicates succinctly the frame of kind it will take to eradicate the virus with the least cost economically and in terms of human suffering and death.

Since early April, around 1,000 Singapore based cabin crew from Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot have volunteered to work as Care, Transport and Contact Tracing Ambassadors alongside those who are essential to defeating the disease.  This is an extraordinary commitment because by working in public and hospital settings these volunteers are risking their own health.

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Mohamad Faidhi Mohamad Ruzli (right) has been deployed as a care ambassador at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. PHOTO: SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Their duties include supporting healthcare personnel in hospitals, ensuring adherence to social distancing guidelines in train and bus stations, and making calls to trace the contacts of individuals who have tested positive for the virus.

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Flight attendant Sarah Liew has been working as a transport ambassador for about a month. PHOTO: SINGAPORE AIRLINES

The Singapore Straits Times reported in detail about these activities in its May 3, 2020 edition.

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In-flight manager Irvin Ignatius Selvam is now a contact tracing ambassador. PHOTO: SINGAPORE AIRLINES

The professionalism and communications and customer service skills of SIA employees makes them well suited to succeed in these roles and have a positive effect in their community.

 

In the US, many have had enough of the efforts to control spread, and some poor  souls even think the disease is a hoax.  Ironically, in spite of the fact that relaxing measures that limit the spread of coronavirus will undoubtedly increase the number of deaths, many of those protesting here are on the political right and would consider themselves to be staunchly pro life.

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Credit: Singapore Airlines

Three cheers for Singapore Airlines and its courageous employees!

How do you view it?  Should we stick together and stay in the fight until the disease is no longer a significant threat?  Or is it time to throw in the towel, go our separate ways, and have the COVID-19 chips fall where they may?  That is the choice we each must make.