Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly has examined positive for Covid-19, the corporate stated Friday. The information got here after a Senate hearing wherein he and other airline chiefs and lawmakers weren’t carrying masks.

Kelly, alongside with the CEOs of United Airlines and American Airlines, Delta Air Lines‘ chief of operations, and the president of the nation’s largest flight attendant union testified for greater than three hours on the Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday afternoon about $54 billion in federal payroll help airways took to climate the pandemic.

“Although testing negative multiple times prior to the Senate Commerce Committee Hearing, Gary tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home, experiencing mild symptoms, and taking a PCR test,” a Southwest spokeswoman stated in a press release. “Gary is doing well and currently resting at home, he has been fully vaccinated and received the booster earlier this year. Gary’s symptoms continue to be mild, and each day he is moving closer to a full recovery.”

Delta’s chief of operations, John Laughter, who testified within the hearing on Wednesday and sat two seats away from Kelly, examined unfavourable Thursday and Friday.

“He will continue to test and take other precautions as necessary,” the airline stated in a press release.

American and United did not instantly remark.

Air journey demand collapsed when the pandemic started however has since recovered, principally because of home leisure journeys. Executives from Delta and United this week stated they’re gearing up busy year-end holiday season, regardless of the unfold of the omicron variant.

Senators questioned witnesses on current flight disruptions, airways’ hiring bother, 5G, in addition to vaccine mandates.