INDIANAPOLIS (TEGNA) — Alaska and Southwest Airlines on Friday joined American, Delta, United, Frontier and JetBlue in announcing plans to soon require all passengers to wear face coverings during their flights in the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The airlines say they are following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Delta and United say its new passenger requirement will go into effect May 4. Frontier will make it a requirement on May 8 and American, Southwest and Alaska will start on May 11.
Southwest added that its employees will be required to wear face masks when interacting with travelers starting on May 3.
“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our people and our customers,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta Chief Customer Experience Officer in a statement. “While we remain committed to our new standard of clean and to providing more space for our customers when they travel, we take seriously the CDC guidelines for adding this extra layer of protection.
Alaska Airlines employees who can’t maintain six feet of distance between passengers and other employees will also be required to wear masks.
“In light of COVID-19, we’re in a new era of air travel and are continually updating our safety standards to better protect our guests and employees,” said Max Tidwell, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of safety.
JetBlue on Monday was the first U.S. airline to announce such a policy, which goes into effect May 4.
The airlines are making exemptions for very young children and for those who may not be able to wear a mask due to conditions they may have.
