Seven major airlines are doubling down on enforcing their face covering policy for all passengers.

As more states begin to reopen for visitors, airline travel is seeing a surge in domestic passenger flight traffic. Along with mandatory face coverings on planes, airlines are taking additional measures to keep everyone safe while on board. 

“U.S. airlines are very serious about requiring face coverings on their flights. Carriers are stepping up enforcement of face coverings and implementing substantial consequences for those who do not comply with the rules. Face coverings are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC as an important layer of protection for passengers and customer-facing employees.” — Nicholas E. Calio, President and CEO of Airlines for America

According to Airlines for America, seven U.S. carriers are taking note of non-compliant passengers who refuse to wear face coverings in their planes. Flight attendants will start by asking the passengers to put on a mask. Anyone who refuses to do so may end up being put on an internal no-fly list maintained at a corporate level while masks continue to be required.

The seven airlines taking this stance are:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

Passengers will receive reminders about the mandatory mask policy from each airline before their flights. Face coverings must be worn both at the gate in the airport and on the plane, removed only for eating or drinking. Exceptions include people who are medically unable to wear a face covering and children under the age of 2. Flight attendants will have free masks on hand to give out on the plane as needed.

Courtesy of United Airlines

For more information about the airlines enforcing their mandatory face-covering policies, read the Airlines for America press release here. You can also learn more about the steps airlines are taking to protect passengers and flight crews from COVID-19 at airlinestakeaction.com.

What do you think about airlines keeping internal no-fly lists of passengers who refuse to wear face masks? Let us know in the comments.