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Passengers who don't wear masks as Covid-19 precaution could lose their flying privileges, warn US airlines

To make flights safe, A4A said it was 'vigorously enforcing face-covering policies', under which passengers and employees have to mask up throughout the travel
PUBLISHED JUN 16, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Passengers could lose flying privileges if they refuse to put on face masks on board, Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing the leading US airlines announced Monday, June 15. The move comes as experts raised concern over the inability to maintain physical distancing during flight travel.

To make flights safe, A4A said it was "vigorously enforcing face-covering policies", under which passengers and employees have to wear masks throughout the travel. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines will enforce this policy, according to a statement.

"US airlines are very serious about requiring face coverings on their flights. Carriers are stepping up enforcement of face coverings and implementing substantial consequences for those who do not comply with the rules,” said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “Face coverings are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC as an important layer of protection for passengers and customer-facing employees.”

These carriers will inform passengers about their face-covering policy during the check-in process and while onboard. If some travelers continue to protest, the crew "will do their best to de-escalate the situation [and] again inform the customer of United's policy". And if fliers continue to refuse, they could face a temporary ban.

However, each carrier will determine its action against such violating passengers. For instance, United said it would put them on an internal travel restriction list ."Every reputable health institution says wearing a mask is one of the most effective things people can do to protect others from contracting Covid-19, especially in places like an aircraft where social distancing is a challenge," United's Chief Customer Officer, Toby Enqvist, said in a press statement.

To make flights safe, A4A said it was "vigorously enforcing face-covering policies", under which passengers and employees have to mask up throughout the travel. (Getty Images)

"We have been requiring our customers to wear masks onboard United aircraft since May 4, and we have been pleased that the overwhelming majority of passengers readily comply with our policy. Today's announcement is an unmistakable signal that we're prepared to take serious steps, if necessary, to protect our customers and crew," Enqvist added.

This is a significant departure from an earlier report, which suggested that United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines asked their crew members not to force masks onboard, according to reports. "Once onboard and off the gate, the face-covering policy becomes more lenient. The flight attendant’s role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face-covering policy," American Airlines told its pilots, explaining its policy which went into effect on Monday.

 A4A had to come up with a policy of its own as the federal government failed to act. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said that airlines should decide for themselves."When the federal government gets involved, we tend to be much more heavy-handed, we tend to be inflexible. Once we put a rule in place, it takes a long time to remove that rule if conditions change," Chao said at a June 3 event hosted by Politico.

"The federal government has completely abdicated its responsibility to keep the flying public and aviation workers safe during Covid-19," Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendant-CWA told Reuters, adding that the industry cannot fix this on its own.

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