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The CEO of Delta Air Lines said the company was not planning to take a position on restrictive abortion laws in Georgia, even though its head office was based in Georgia, calling the project an "uncomfortable issue" that should be decided by the courts.
Speaking at the Vox Media Code Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona on Tuesday, Delta President Ed Bastian said it was an "emotional" problem and that the company could alienate people if it takes a position in Georgia, where the governor has signed a bill. which prohibits abortion after five to six weeks of pregnancy.
The law is not yet in force and is facing legal challenges.
"We have our headquarters [in Georgia]. This has obviously become a big problem. It's an incredibly emotional problem. There are many people on both sides of this issue, "Bastian said.
Read more: Women face up to 30 years in prison for having a miscarriage under the new severe abortion law in Georgia
"We transport 200 million people a year, we employ 80,000 people, and as a company we can not take one group and put it on top of another group when you have such an emotional vision – some would almost say religious – the right answer is. "
"And regardless of how you approach the subject, you are going to alienate millions, tens of millions of people – it's a problem that's uncomfortable."
"It's something that the courts have to settle and resolve, not American companies, at least for us, I can not win."
Bastian explained that the situation is different for Delta compared to Disney, whose CEO said that it might be "difficult" to turn in Georgia under the new law because some people will not want to work in this area. State.
"Disney has talents that do not want to work," he said. "It's our state, it's here we live, it's here that we have 35,000 employees."
He said the idea of "social activism with CEOs" is a "relatively recent phenomenon."
"It's something we've been trained to stay out of."
Read more: Netflix says it would rethink all its investment in Georgia if an anti-abortion law was pbaded
He said the idea that "you want everyone to like you and you do not want to make enemies" is something that society "continues to flounder".
Disney's general manager, Bob Iger, said in May that he doubted the company would continue shooting in Georgia in reaction to the new law, while Netflix said it would "rethink" its investment in Georgia was it applied.
Georgian law prohibits abortion once a fetus' heartbeat is detected, which often takes place before someone knows that she is pregnant.
The law can also mean that women are criminally liable if they seek an abortion outside of the state, practice it themselves or miscarry.
The ban is part of a trend that is sweeping over the American states. Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri and Alabama all signed restrictive bans in May, although none of these bills are yet in force.
The strictest of these laws is in Alabama, where doctors risk prison for performing an abortion.
These laws have provoked negative reactions in a large number of American companies.
Read more: 187 companies, including Bloomberg, Tinder and Ben & Jerry's, have partnered to remove abortion restrictions in Southern states
The leaders of 187 companies have teamed up for a campaign including a full-page ad in the New York Times, which qualifies the new laws as "bad for business" and "threatening the health," he said. independence and economic stability of our employees. " customers."
The leaders of Bloomberg, Ben & Jerry's, Slack, H & M, Postmates, Yelp and Tinder are among those who signed the letter, in which it was written: "Restricting access to reproductive care comprehensive, including abortion, threatens the health, independence and economic stability of our employees and customers. "
Delta had already discussed with Georgian legislators on political issues. In February, he announced that he would reduce his rebate program for members of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Delta called the decision apolitical and said in a statement that the decision reflected "the neutral status of the airline in the ongoing national debate on gun control in the midst of recent shootings on a school".
When he was trapped, Bastian said that "the decision was not made for economic gain and our values are not for sale".
Delta then lost $ 40 million in tax breaks, while affirming its commitment to maintaining its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
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