Chrissy Teigen SLAMS American Airlines for not caring if passengers ‘get sick and die’ on flights

Chrissy Teigen publicly lambasted American Airlines on Friday, after Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) uploaded a photo of his packed flight to Twitter.

‘Not to be dramatic but American Airlines only cares about money and doesn’t care if you get sick and die,’ tweeted the 34-year-old model, who shared Merkley’s post with her 13.1million followers.

American Airlines sparked controversy earlier this week by announcing they would resume booking ‘flights to capacity starting July 1’ amid reported COVID-19 spikes.

‘How many Americans will die bc you fill middle seats, w/ your customers shoulder to shoulder, hour after hour,’ began Merkley in his original tweet.

Though everyone in his self-portrait appeared to be wearing face masks, Merkley criticized the lack of social-distancing and the leniencies in place regarding mask removal. 

‘This is incredibly irresponsible. People eat & drink on planes & must take off masks to do so. No way you aren’t facilitating spread of COVID infections,’ he concluded.

During a Senate hearing this week, CDC virologist Dr. Robert Redfield declared American Airlines’ decision as a ‘substantial disappointment’ and ‘[not the] right message’ to be sending amid the pandemic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci added that American Airlines’ actions are ‘something that is of concern’ and that he ‘would hope that there would be something to mitigate against that.’  

On Thursday, The United States recorded ‘more than 52,291 new cases’ of coronavirus, which marked ‘a new all-time high for cases recorded in a single day,’ according to the New York Daily News. 

Despite the backlash and criticism, American Airlines insisted in a statement released earlier this week that they are ‘are unwavering in [their] commitment to the safety and well-being of [their] customers and team members.’ 

The airline claims to have ‘multiple layers of protection in place for those who fly with [them], including required face coverings, enhanced cleaning procedures, and a pre-flight COVID-19 symptom checklist.’

American Airlines added: ‘and we’re providing additional flexibility for customers to change their travel plans, as well.’

‘We know our customers are placing their trust in us to make every aspect of their journey safe, and we are committed to doing just that.’