Flight attendants won't enforce their policy requiring passengers to wear masks, major airlines say

• American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines have instructed their crews not to enforce mandatory mask policies during flight, Reuters reported.
• The three airlines all unveiled new pandemic policies in May, requiring passengers to wear masks.
• But the companies are taking a lax approach, informing passengers of the policy but not enforcing it.
• The International Air Transport Association recommends that all travelers and crew should wear face-coverings onboard. The Federal Aviation Administration has not issued similar guidance.
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Three of the largest airlines in the US are instructing crews not to enforce mandatory mask policies once passengers have entered the cabin.

Flight attendants at American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines have been advised to encourage passengers to wear masks on board, Reuters reported. But they have also been advised not to push the issue if a passenger refuses.

In early May, the three companies, which together held 50% of the pre-pandemic domestic flight market share, all announced they would require passengers to wear masks onboard. Last week, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) advised that everyone aboard a commercial aircraft should wear a face covering. The Federal Aviation Administration has not issued any mask guidance.

According to internal company messages seen by Reuters, the companies are flouting their own policies and IATA guidance. US air travel has plummeted 94%, and total flights stand at 30% of their usual capacity this month.

"Once on board and off the gate, the face covering policy becomes more lenient. The flight attendant's role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face covering policy," American Airlines said in a message to pilots obtained by Reuters.

"Bottom line to the pilots: a passenger on board your aircraft who is being compliant with the exception of wearing a face covering is NOT considered disruptive enough to trigger a Threat Level 1 response," the message continued, referencing a mid-flight disruption scenario that could require the pilot to change course.

If a passenger chooses not to comply with the mask policy for other reasons, American Airlines said, attendants are still told to "not escalate further."

A spokeswoman for United told Reuters that its crews would use their "de-escalation skills." Delta had a similar policy. The three companies enforce mask policies before and after passengers board their flights.

Airline unions have called for more oversight and stricter safety policies.

"Airlines are implementing policies on the fly with essentially no coordination or direction from the federal government," Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, told Reuters. "We need federal requirements that mitigate risk during this pandemic and put the safety of crews and the traveling public first."