Three major US airlines have separately announced they are going to require their passengers to wear face masks.
Two days after Jet Blue became the first major airline to announce this change, American, Delta and Frontier followed suit, releasing statements explaining their new policies.
Earlier this week Delta said that employees were required to wear masks and passengers “were strongly encouraged” to do so. Today, Delta released a statement saying passengers were required to wear masks on all flights starting May 4, the same date as Jet Blue.
American Airlines made similar announcements earlier this week regarding flight attendants wearing masks, and today extended that requirement to passengers.
American said it would also be offering masks and sanitizing wipes to passengers on select flights. The airline added that it may take a few weeks to roll out these provisions, and in the interim, “customers should bring their own masks or face coverings.”
This morning Frontier Airlines, a smaller, Denver-based carrier, announced that passengers would be required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth at the airline’s ticket counters, gate areas and onboard from May 8.
The airline is blocking every other row and requires passengers to agree to a “health acknowledgment” before checking in, to certify that they have not been exposed to Covid-19, do not have a temperature and promise to wash their hands before boarding.
AFA (Association of Flight Attendants) President Sara Nelson said the union was “happy to see airlines taking action” and called on the US federal government to make masks mandatory for all crew, frontline employees and all passengers.
Read more: