The price of not wearing a mask on a flight

YOU may want to reconsider defying mask-wearing orders when travelling by plane as South African airlines may slap you with hefty bills as high as R100 000.

The recent surge of non-maskwearing misfits on planes have caused flight delays and put passengers’ lives at risk. As such, the airline industry is not taking matters lightly, especially when the future of its operation hangs in the balance.

Besides non-mask wearing passengers being hit with charges and facing jail time, they may be liable to pay additional expenses if the pilot diverts the plane.

Kirby Gordon, the chief marketing officer at FlySafair, said the captain could divert the plane to the nearest airport to drop off the unruly passenger. He said the passenger is liable for all the expenses incurred in that process.

Gordon said the airline is legally required to enforce compliance or stand the risk of being heavily fined.

“As an airline, we are regulated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance or face the risk of being grounded. We will enforce mask-wearing just as we do any other regulation until it changes.”

He said that the airline issues many warnings to the passenger before they alert the authorities.

“We politely ask non-compliant customers to wear their masks. If they refuse, we discretely hand them a card that details all the rules they need to follow. If they continue to refuse, the flight attendant hands them a Captain's Letter.

“The letter reveals that they will be handed to the South African police if they don't comply. Beyond that point, we have relatively very little information,” he said.

The passenger will also feature on the airline’s “no-fly” list and “won't be welcome on any FlySafair flights in the future”.

The process is similar on board the new airline Lift. Jonathan Ayache, the co-founder of Lift, said all passengers, staff and cabin crew need to wear masks in public and during flight.

“If anyone does not comply, we will alert the relevant authorities. Passengers who continue to refuse are handed a Captain’s Warning letter.

“If the passenger still refuses to comply, he/she is moved to the isolation row in the rear of the cabin. The captain radios ahead to request the law enforcement authorities to meet the aircraft on landing. The rule of law is then applied,” said Ayache.

Airlink denies boarding

to

any non-compliant passengers and reports any incidents to the police.

In an email, the airline revealed that unruly passengers who disobey an instruction from the crew, intimidate, assault their fellow passengers or who interfere with the aircraft crew in the performance of their duties are liable to criminal prosecution.

The airline is guided by the Civil Aviation Act Section 133 Offences and Penalties and Section 135: Nuisance, disorderly or indecent act on board any aircraft. Those found guilty can be charged or imprisoned.

Brian Kitchin, executive head: sales and marketing for Comair, said if a passenger does not wear a mask on kulula.com or British Airways (operated by Comair), they will receive a verbal warning.

“If the passenger continues to disobey the law, we have to follow the Civil

Aviation Act 13 of 2009’s warning card system that will provide additional measures for more control of the safety and security of the aircraft.

“Depending on the severity, this could include offloading the passenger or informing the SAPS," said Kitchin.

Pexels WEAR your mask or pay the price. |