More Major U.S. Airlines Will Now Require Passengers To Wear Face Masks
American, Delta, Frontier and United airlines all joined JetBlue in announcing the new requirement. The risk of infection on airlines is higher because of how the air is circulated through the cabins. Airlines had been hesitant to require masks since they were hard to come by, but they say times have changed and it's not the right step to ensure the safety of both their passengers and crews.
After flight attendants and pilots criticized them for not doing more to protect employees, large airlines in the United States and around the world announced this week that they would require their crews and passengers to wear masks. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all said on Thursday that they would start requiring all passengers to wear a face covering in the coming weeks, a policy that will apply to their flight attendants and some other workers, too. (Chokshi, 4/30)
On Thursday, American, Delta, Frontier and United announced that starting this month, passengers would be required to wear masks or facial coverings when they fly. The shift comes after JetBlue announced a similar policy Monday. Crew members also will be required to wear masks, the airlines said. Amid reports that more than 500 employees, including screeners at the Transportation Security Administration, have been diagnosed with covid-19, union leaders said travelers should be required to wear masks when passing through security checkpoints as well. (Aratani, 4/30)
The Federal Aviation Administration has said it expects airlines to follow CDC recommendations that everyone wear face coverings when in public, but the regulatory agency has stopped short of requiring them. Some airlines already require crew members to wear masks, and in addition to now requiring passengers to do the same, some airlines are blocking out middle seats, spacing out passengers during boarding and taking other steps to ensure social distancing on flights. They've stepped up their cleaning and disinfecting of airplane cabins, as well. (Schaper, 4/30)
On Thursday Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) led a group of over 80 members of Congress in calling for the DOT and DHS to provide protective gear to all transportation employees. 鈥淚f we are going to weather the COVID-19 storm, we must ensure that no employee is penalized or endangered while continuing to perform their essential job duties during this global pandemic,鈥 Rush said in a statement. (Moreno, 4/30)
