Airlines plan to get tougher on flouters of mask requirement

The largest U.S. airlines say they are ready to crack down on passengers who refuse to wear masks on flights, a month after mask requirements began and were ignored by many passengers.

The trade group representing carriers including American, Southwest, United, Delta, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines said they will increase the number of warnings made to passengers as attempts are made to slow the spread of covid-19 and make people more comfortable flying again.

The trade group, Airlines for America, also said airlines will step up penalties for those who refuse to comply. Chicago-based United Airlines said “any passenger that does not comply when onboard a United flight will be placed on an internal travel restriction list.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has listed the use of cloth masks and coverings as a way to slow the spread of the virus, which has caused thousands of deaths and ravaged the economy, including the airline industry. Three months after the pandemic started in the U.S., airlines are still flying fewer than one-fifth of the passengers they did a year ago.

Airlines have struggled with how to vigorously enforce face-covering requirements since they went into effect a little over a month ago. Airline crew members could deny passengers the ability to board a plane if they weren’t wearing masks, but were cautioned not to enforce the rule too strictly once onboard. There were exceptions for those with medical limitations, and passengers also could take them off to eat or drink.

“Southwest flight attendants will encourage adherence to the policy onboard the aircraft and are trained to handle a variety of scenarios that may occur during any flight,” said Southwest Airlines spokesman Brad Parrish.

American has advised flight attendants to discreetly address a passenger not wearing a mask and not covered by exceptions that include infants and people with particular medical needs, according to a message to members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. Cabin personnel should encourage compliance and seek to deescalate any issues with other passengers frustrated over the situation, the union said.

Groups such as the Allied Pilots Association, which represents about 15,000 American Airlines pilots, have complained that they have no ability to enforce mask rules. The union wants federal officials to make it a law.

Some members of Congress are pushing to make mask requirements a law, too.