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Home » Coronavirus » Flight Attendants Demand U.S. Government Force All Passengers To Wear Masks
CoronavirusNews

Flight Attendants Demand U.S. Government Force All Passengers To Wear Masks

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 23, 2020November 14, 2023 12 Comments

a close-up of a man wearing a mask

A union representing flight attendants for Alaska, Frontier, Spirit, and United has sent a note to the Trump Administration urging that passengers be mandated to wear masks while traveling on commercial flights.

The letter comes from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and was sent to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar.

It calls on the U.S. federal government to mandate that the following groups be forced to wear masks when at U.S. airports or onboard aircraft:

  • Airline flight crew (pilots + flight attendants)
  • Airline ground staff
  • Passengers

Here’s a key excerpt from the note:

“Flight attendants are aviation’s first responders, required by federal regulations to help ensure the safety, health, and security of our globally-interconnected aviation system. While this global system is integral to our modern economy, its essential inter-connectedness also provides a convenient pathway for opportunistic pathogens to hitch rides on unsuspecting crewmembers and travelers and spread all over the world.

As some of the most frequent travelers, flight attendants feel a deep responsibility to ensure that our workplace risks of acquiring and spreading communicable diseases are minimized as much as possible.

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.”

You can read the full note here (.pdf).

The AFA represents USA-based flight attendants from 20 different airlines.

CONCLUSION

I’m surprised this demand has not arrived sooner, but this letter will certainly force a public conversation. Key Members of Congress were also copied on this note so expect to hear about this in the days ahead.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

12 Comments

  1. Scott Reply
    April 23, 2020 at 7:53 pm

    “eliminate all leisure travel until the virus is contained”. they realize that the virus will likely never be “contained” whatever their version of that is? this will likely never be contained, like other viruses, so they never want to work again???

  2. Will Reply
    April 23, 2020 at 9:05 pm

    even if they somehow passed this the likely hood you could get people to maintain wearing them in flight is impossible in my opinion.

    Would they turn around a whole plane for one person not wearing it or just get fined or whatever? I’m sure even government officials would hate the idea

  3. Jimmy Reply
    April 23, 2020 at 9:13 pm

    I didn’t really get facemasks until I read that by wearing one you are showing respect for the health and safety of the people who have to work at the grocery store (or airline). That helped me get over feeling like a weirdo. It’s not about you, do it for the people, like flight attendants, who have to be there.

    • Erndog Reply
      April 23, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      I can’t find a mask to buy anywhere in my town

      Are the airlines going to provide one for me?

      • SoCalGrandma2020 Reply
        April 26, 2020 at 9:28 pm

        You can order them at many places online…they have been selling them for several weeks, plenty of time to have ordered them.

  4. chiguy1979 Reply
    April 23, 2020 at 10:31 pm

    Masks are window dressing to placate the masses. 3 hour flight from NYC to DEN. Passenger brings her own water bottle. Pulls mask down to drink. Sneezes…. Remind me again what the mask accomplished?

  5. derek Reply
    April 23, 2020 at 10:32 pm

    Everyone should wear a mask. End of story. Don’t wear a mask, go to jail and have no mask while in the jail cell.

  6. Jon Reply
    April 23, 2020 at 11:30 pm

    Perhaps the unions should ask/demand their employers (airline management) implement this requirement.

    I find it confounding that they feel a need to involve the President or any other branch of the federal government.

  7. Stuart Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 12:34 am

    “Are you traveling for business or pleasure, sir?”
    “A little of both, a working vacation.”
    “GET OFF MY PLANE!”

  8. Nyctraveler Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 8:02 am

    OK Derek – who’s going to provide those masks? What are the requirements? Homemade masks ok? How many layers of fabric? Masks are little more than a pacifier to make people feel safe and sound. Multiple studies show that someone’s homemade tshirt mask isn’t really effective at another other than people people feel better. Send someone to jail for now wearing that?

    • derek Reply
      April 24, 2020 at 10:24 am

      Denim, paper towel, canvas, towel and surgical masks are good. Bandanna, tshirt, most scarves are not so good according to test.

      There is a shortage of N95 masks, which should be left for doctors and nurses but no shortage of surgical masks.

      In Germany, NY, Canada, and other places, masks are compulsory

  9. WR2 Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    Airlines are free to enforce any policy they like, no legislation or executive order needed. However, if they are going to demand passengers wear facemasks then they better be providing them as well.

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