While the demand for air travel is at an all-time low, airlines are still running to help amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. To limit the spread of the virus, some airlines are requiring flight attendants, employees and possibly even passengers to wear face masks.
While there is no official mandate from the Federal Aviation Administration that requires flight attendants and pilots to wear face masks while working, unions that represent workers in the industry are supportive of the idea. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already recommends that everyone wear a "cloth face covering" in community settings, "including during travel if they must travel."
According to Fox News, airlines that officially require employees to wear masks include American Airlines, which went into effect as of April 27; Delta Air Lines, where all in-flight and flight operations employees must wear masks if they cannot maintain six feet of distance from others; Frontier Airlines, which recommends passengers also wear masks as well; JetBlue, which became the first major U.S. airline that requires all passengers to wear masks as well; and United Airlines, which requires all flight-attendants to wear masks while on duty.
Other airlines, meanwhile, have not enforced mask guidelines, opting to merely encourage both staff and passengers to take safety precautions, which includes wearing masks and gloves and keeping hand sanitizers or disinfectant wipes handy. These airlines include Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines
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