Several airlines are rolling out new procedures aimed at helping passengers and crew members feel safer flying in the midst of a pandemic. Jet Blue is the first airline to require all passengers to wear a face-covering. JetBlue’s President Joanna Geraghty said:
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting those around you. This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.”
The Points Guy writes that American Airlines is also “announcing major new initiatives to combat COVID-19 going forward,” but the airline isn’t going as far as JetBlue. Instead, masks for passengers will be optional.
AA will be requiring all flight attendants to wear face masks starting May 1, and hand them out to passengers as well. The airline is also handing out sanitizing wipes to passengers where available, and will be deep cleaning between flights. American said new procedures will begin as soon as this week and will rollout to all mainline flights in the next few weeks.
Delta is also handing out masks to passengers, though not requiring they wear them. CNBC adds:
Delta said it will require employees to wear masks or face coverings any time it’s impossible to keep a distance of six feet between themselves and a customer or another employee, starting on Tuesday and through June 30 “at which time we will reevaluate and update as necessary.”
United, the first airline to require flight attendants wear masks, hasn’t announced any masks for passengers yet.
Expect more guidelines in the coming day, amid public pressure and images like this one.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, has sent a letter on behalf of the union to the government. It reads, in part:
We are calling on the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and other relevant agencies, to use its authority to mandate masks in aviation for crew, employees and passengers; require personal protective equipment; and end all leisure travel until the virus is contained.
USA Today reports, “Canada is a step ahead of the United States in flight safety moves as the coronavirus crisis continues, last week adding a new policy that requires air travelers to cover their faces at the airport and on planes.”
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