Airlines Still Want Regulations on Face Covering Usage

A flyer waits at an airport wearing a face mask.

With the federal government taking a neutral stance on mandating face coverings on public transportation, some airline workers say they still want a legal requirement. Without additional regulations, the workers say they are asked to police behavior with no authority.

As the federal government continues to take a “no regulation” policy on mandating face coverings aboard commercial aircraft (or other forms of public transportation), aviation workers and airport partners say now is the time for public mandates. Skift reports frustration is growing behind the scenes, as airlines continue to operate flights with only their own face mask requirements.

“We Are Like the Police Without the Law to Back Us Up”

Since the Summer of 2020, airlines have slowly introduced face mask requirements as part of their commitment to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Delta was the first airline to create a face covering rule, which was followed closely by other airlines. By July 2020, 25 of the world’s biggest air carriers required passengers to wear face masks when aboard their aircraft.

Although research suggests that face coverings are the best way for people to protect one another from contracting COVID-19, federal authorities would not commit to making it a requirement for boarding a commercial flight. During testimony to the Senate Transportation Committee, Federal Aviation Aviation head Steve Dickson said his agency would “continue to support airlines” and their policies, without making one of their own.

This was further backed up by an October decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Responding to a union petition, the agency said that the current policies are “adequate to address the concerns,” and they did not want to create “more regulations than necessary.” But those working on the front line say without a law, making passengers wear a face covering is still a problem.

“We are like the police without the law to back us up,” one union airline worker speaking under anonymity told Skift.

It’s not just airline workers that are frustrated. In a statement, the president of Airports Council International – North America express concern that with different policies in place across the United States, the “patchwork of requirements” creates inconsistency, which leads to headaches for flyers and aviation workers.

How Airlines Are Requiring Flyers to Cover Faces Aboard Flights

Even without a mandate, airlines are still working hard to safeguard passengers and require flyers to keep a face covering on. To date, over 700 flyers have been banned from flying with the major U.S.-based air carriers for declining to follow their policies. In addition, some experts say the face mask regulations have a legal precedence, because the policies are written into the airlines’ contract of carriage.

However, the policy may not be perfect, as many parents claim it is unfair to toddlers. A growing number of mothers have spoken up about the requirement for everyone two-years-old and above to wear a face covering, claiming its next to impossible to make a toddler wear a face covering.