Measures are expected to remain in place throughout the coronavirus crisis. (File)
US air passengers who refuse to wear face covers during the new coronavirus pandemic could see their flight privileges revoked, the industry’s leading lobby group said on Monday.
Major American airlines can prevent anyone not wearing a mask from boarding and provide blankets to passengers who do not. Once on board, however, flight attendants have little power to enforce the policy if passengers remove their masks.
Carriers affected by the policy include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, Airlines for America said in a statement.
Airlines will clearly inform passengers of their individual mask policies before flying, followed by an announcement with specific details on board, he added.
Each carrier will determine the appropriate consequences for passengers who do not comply, until they are included on that airline’s no-fly list.
Airlines offer certain exemptions, especially when people eat or drink.
United, which said last week that passengers should agree to wear a face cover on a pre-flight checklist, said any passenger who does not abide by onboard policy from June 18 will be placed on a list of internal travel restrictions that would prevent them from flying with the airline “for a period to be determined pending a full investigation of the incident”.
Delta said it is working harder to make sure customers know, recognize and respect its mask requirement, which it says is one of the most important ways to “stay safe during the flight” .
Measures are expected to remain in place throughout the coronavirus crisis.
On Twitter, Senator Ed Markey, who spoke with a dozen other Democratic senators on airline problems during the pandemic, praised the tighter enforcement policies, adding: “But we still need more ‘immediate federal action’.
The US government has imposed no aviation safety requirements since the pandemic hit global aviation, despite calls from unions and industry.
“The federal government completely abdicated its responsibility for the safety of the flying public and aviation workers during COVID-19,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendant-CWA, adding that ” industry cannot solve this problem alone. “
Federal Aviation Administration administrator Stephen Dickson is expected to be questioned about the masks during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
