Delta, United abandon US gun lobby after Florida shooting
UNITED STATES US airlines Delta and United on Saturday joined an expanding list of companies cutting ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA), the country's powerful gun lobby, in the wake of a deadly school shooting in Florida.
The "#BoycottNRA" campaign has gained traction on Twitter since the Valentine Day's rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida left 17 dead.
"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," Delta said. "We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website."
United had a similar message, also discontinuing discounted rates for NRA members attending the group's annual meeting.
The two airlines join other companies in retracting benefits for the NRA and its members, including rental car companies Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz, First National Bank of Omaha and insurance providers Chubb and MetLife.
"Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA," First National Bank of Omaha said.
Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines, along with security company Symantec, have also severed ties.
None of the companies explicitly linked their statements to the mass shooting in Florida, but their decisions come as activists are pushing for stronger gun controls in the United States.
The incident has once again shone the spotlight on the NRA, which staunchly opposes any limits to the right to bear arms enshrined in the US Constitution.- AFP
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