Two airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, announced Saturday that they are ending discounted-rate deals with the National Rifle Association, adding to a growing list of companies distancing themselves from the gun-rights lobby group as it fights a push for stricter gun control measures after a deadly high school shooting on Valentine’s Day in Parkland, Fla.
“Delta is reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel program. We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website,” Delta tweeted early in the morning.
Delta is reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel program. We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website.
— Delta (@Delta) February 24, 2018
Hours later, United Airlines issued a similar statement.
“United is notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website,” their tweet said.
United is notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website.
— United Airlines (@united) February 24, 2018
The Florida shooting suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, allegedly used a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, purchased legally, in the attack that left 17 people dead and more than a dozen more injured. The teenager, who had received marksmanship training in a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program supported by the NRA Foundation, also owned at least six other long guns, according to police.
After the shooting, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have led an effort calling on lawmakers to pass restrictive gun measures. The NRA, however, has not been moved.
Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president, called for more armed school security and blamed Democrats and the media for politicizing school shootings.
Since then, starting with the First National Bank of Omaha on Thursday, a number of business have announced they are severing ties with the NRA, including MetLife, the New York-based insurer, and auto-rental service Enterprise.
