Flights to the Hamptons will reportedly screen for COVID-19 this summer

Air taxi service, Blade, has announced new flight protocol
Photo by RODOLFO BARRETO on UnSplash

New York’s elite will be boarding summer flights to their Hamptons homes with a new carry-on item - a face mask.

According to Page Six, Blade, the short-distance aviation company that’s become popular for its helicopter and seaplane flights from Manhattan to Southampton, East Hampton and Westhampton, is setting up some strict rules for summer travel.

Blade, which was founded in 2014 by former Sony and Warner Music Group executive Robert Wiesenthal and GroupMe co-founder Steve Martocci, has quickly become a favorite among the 1% - including celebrities like Liev Schreiber, Cynthia Rowley and Christy Turlington.

UnSplash

And with the coronavirus pandemic, they’ve established a new health and safety protocol for all forthcoming flights, which include 40-minute flights to the Hamptons for $795 per seat.

“We are continually monitoring the latest technology and procedures from around the world to ensure the health, safety and security of our passengers,” read a statement on Blade’s site that was created with the company’s MediMobility and its medical advisor Dr. Andrew Bazos.

As part of Blade’s health and safety protocol, all pilots, employees and passengers are required to undergo temperature and oxygen level tests prior to boarding. “This combination of body temperature and blood oxygen level tests represents the most reliable COVID screening possible during check-in,” the site explained.

Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash

Additionally, pilots, employees and passengers will be required to wear face masks for the entire duration of the flight, with pilots and Blade employees wearing gloves as well. “Drinks will not be allowed on board this summer as passengers may not remove their masks during the trip,” a source told Page Six.

To further ensure safety, Blade’s site shared that all passengers will have their own window seat to allow for more distancing on board, and the aircraft will be “electrostatically decontaminated using an airline-grade fogging system before every flight.”

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