JetBlue becomes first major airline to require passengers to wear masks
JetBlue will be the first major airline to require passengers to wear masks during flights.
The low-cost carrier announced this week that it will begin requiring customers to cover their faces Monday. Crew members already must wear face coverings while working.
The airline said it modeled its policy on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which recommend that all individuals wear a face covering in public to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself. It’s about protecting those around you,” Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer for JetBlue, said in a news release. “This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, 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. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.”
Under the new policy, customers will have to wear a covering over their nose and mouth throughout the flying process, including check-in, boarding, flight and deplaning.
JetBlue will remind passengers of the requirement before their flight via email and at the airport with terminal signage and announcements. Small children who can’t maintain a face covering will be exempt.
The airline industry is being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, JetBlue flew 40,149 passengers in and out of McCarran International Airport, a 58 percent decrease from a year earlier.
This is the latest step by JetBlue to ensure the safety of crew members and customers. Since late March, it has limited the number of seats available on most flights to promote social distancing.
All of its planes are equipped with hospital-grade high-efficiency particulate air filters. All recirculated air is passed through these filters before re-entering the cabin and being mixed with fresh air, and all air in the cabin is changed every three minutes on average.
JetBlue has increased its aircraft cleanings at night and between flights, using disinfectant approved to kill the coronavirus.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.
