US Airlines Threaten Ban for Passengers Who Refuse to Wear Masks.
More than 2,124,000 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 116,200 have died, according to a New York Times database.
Though the number of new deaths has been curving downward, the virus continues to circulate widely within the United States. As states move to partly reopen their economies, thousands of new cases are still being identified each day and true normalcy remains a distant vision.
On Monday, Airlines for America (A4A), an organization that represents major U.S. airlines, announced it will increase its enforcement of face coverings. Major US airlines will provide masks to passengers who do not have them and have warned passengers who refuse to wear masks that they could be banned from flights.
Once on board, however, flight attendants have had little power over passengers who remove the face covering. Each carrier will decide the appropriate consequences for passengers who fail to comply, up to and including being put on that airline’s no-fly list.
There will be exemptions, including when people are eating or drinking. Carriers with the stricter policy include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, lobby group Airlines for America said in a statement.
“U.S. 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.
United Airlines said those who do not comply with the rule will be placed on an internal travel restriction list, preventing them from flying with the airline for a set period. Delta Airlines said it would be working hard to ensure customers are aware of and comply with the rules around face coverings.
The measures are expected to remain in place throughout the coronavirus crisis. The US government has not mandated any airline safety requirements.
“The federal government has completely abdicated its responsibility to keep the flying public and aviation workers safe during COVID-19 said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants.” The administrator of Federal Aviation Administration, Stephen Dickson, is expected to be questioned about masks at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
According to A4A, major U.S. airlines will implement the following policy updates regarding face covering:
- Preflight Communications: Each airline will clearly articulate its face-covering policy in communications with customers, which may require passengers to acknowledge the specific rules during the check-in process.
- Onboard Announcements: Onboard the aircraft, crew members will announce specific details regarding the carrier’s face covering policy including the consequences passengers could face for violating the policy.
- Consequences for Noncompliance: Each carrier will determine the appropriate consequences for passengers who are found to be in noncompliance with the airline’s face covering policy up to and including suspension of flying privileges on that airline.
Information is taken from A4A’s press release.
Reporting by Winsala Gbotemi.
Originally published at https://www.egmanalytics.com on June 16, 2020.