JetBlue, other airlines will soon require face masks.
JetBlue Airways plans to require all passengers to wear face masks aboard its planes and in airport terminal areas starting May 4 as airlines ramp up efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on the ground and during flights.
JetBlue said in a statement Tuesday it recently started to require that all of its crew members wear face coverings while working. Management said it modeled its policy on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines “that indicate all individuals should wear a face covering in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.”
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, the airline’s president and chief operating officer.
“This is the new flying etiquette. On board, 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,” she said. “We are also asking our customers
to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.”
The move is the latest action take by the nation’s airlines as they struggle to cope with virus-driven movement restrictions that have all but drained its planes of passengers. Amid the cutbacks, airlines are scrambling to find ways to safely rebuild their businesses by adopting federal health guidelines.
Delta Airlines said Tuesday it would make masks available at ticket counters, gates and on planes. The airline said it is
“strongly encouraging our customers to wear masks.”
The initiative is part of a broader program requiring all employees to wear masks or face coverings when they are unable “to maintain at least six feet between you and another employee, customer or business partner.”
The airline said the requirement is temporary and will remain in place through June 30, when management will “reevaluate and update” the policy as necessary.
On Monday, American Airlines said it will start distributing masks to passengers in May, although wearing them will be voluntary. Flight attendants will be required to wear them starting May 1.
During a recent series of repatriation flights of Americans stranded overseas, Spirit Airlines of Miramar left the middle seats empty on all of the flights. Passengers were seen wearing masks as they disembarked at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
A Spirit spokesman did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday about the airline’s response to COVID-19.
JetBlue customers are already being advised of its new policy on the airline’s website.
“Starting May 4, all customers are required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning,” the advisory says.
A “suitable face covering” is defined as “an item of cloth that should fit snugly against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric and allow for unrestricted breathing.”
“The CDC recommends surgical masks and N-95 respirators be reserved for health care workers and other medical first responders,” the advisory says. “Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.”
Workers at airport already covered
Following the terms of a recent Broward County executive order, employees who work at the Fort Lauderdale airport and who have contact with the public are already wearing masks, said Greg Meyer, spokesman for the Broward County Aviation department.
Under the order, anyone providing essential services to the public must wear a mask, he said.
“That applies to airport employees” including custodial workers, rental car agency workers and concessionaires, he said.
“As far as the airlines and aviation employees, the expectation by the county is that [employees] have a mask on,” Meyer added.