Delta CEO says abortion laws should not be resolved by "US company": report

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Delta CEO Ed Bastian spoke this week about controversial abortion legislation. (Delta)

The Delta executive said Tuesday that abortion laws, like the controversial one recently signed in Georgia, should be handled by the judiciary and not by US companies.

President and CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged at a conference at the Vox Media Code Conference that the company's headquarters was located in the state of Peach and emphasized the complexity of this which has "become a big problem," according to Business Insider.

"We transport 200 million people a year, we have 80,000 employees," Bastian said. "As a business, we can not take one group and place it on top of another group when you have such an emotional point of view – some would say almost religious – about the right answer."

And "millions" could be isolated if the company takes sides, he said, according to Business Insider.

"It's something the courts have to settle and resolve, not US companies," Bastian said, "at least for us, I can not win."

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp last month signed Bill 481. The law prohibits abortion once the fetal heart rate is detected, except in case of rape or incest. Its entry into force is scheduled for January 2020.

Since then, the state has had negative reactions from Hollywood celebrities and entertainment companies such as Netflix and Disney.

Georgia has benefited greatly from the film and television industry by offering companies 30% tax incentives. The state, nicknamed "Hollywood of the South", is the most popular filming location in the United States and the site of some blockbusters such as "Avengers: Endgame".

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Netflix said it would rethink its "full investment in Georgia" if the "Heartbeat" bill came into force in January. Similarly, Disney's general manager, Bob Iger, said it would be "very difficult" for the company to continue filming in that state if the law was enforced.

Kathleen Joyce and Katherine Lam of Fox Business contributed to this report.