WHAT ABOUT FACE MASKS?
All the leading U.S. airlines have announced
plans to start requiring passengers to wear facial
coverings during flights. JetBlue Airways was the
first to announce the policy, which took effect
Monday. The big four — Delta, American, United
and Southwest — followed suit in recent days.
Airlines say they won’t let customers without
masks board a plane. Small children and people
with medical conditions that make a mask
hazardous will generally be exempt, and others
will be allowed to briefly remove coverings while
eating or drinking.
Crews are bracing for the inevitable passenger
who will flout the rules.
“We’re not going to land a plane because
somebody won’t keep their mask on unless they
are violent or crazy,” said an industry official
who wasn’t authorized to discuss the airline’s
procedures and requested anonymity. “We will
flag that for corporate security, and they may not
be welcome to fly us again.”
The airlines are also requiring crew members to
wear face masks.
HOW DO AIRLINES CLEAN PLANES?
Every airline says it has stepped up the cleaning
of plane cabins to help prevent spread of the
coronavirus. Some, like Delta, say they are using
misting machines to spray anti-viral chemicals
inside the cabin.
Airlines insist that the air inside their planes is safe
to breathe. Cabin air on most jetliners is a mix of
fresh air from the outside and recirculated air that
is passed through high-efficiency or HEPA filters
designed to trap most airborne particles.