Beginning May 4th, all travelers who step foot on a plane operated by JetBlue, will need to wear a crucial accessory: a face mask. The airline announced Monday that in one week, it will be mandatory for all passengers to cover their mouths and noses with a face mask upon boarding their flights to help slow the spread of the COVID-19. JetBlue crew members have already received the same PPE mandate.
“This is the new flying etiquette,” JetBlue’s president and chief operating officer, Joanna Geraghty said. “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.”
In announcing the new rule, JetBlue became the first major U.S. airline to require passengers to wear a face mask. This includes the entirety of their journey — from check-in to stepping off the plane at their destination.
Airline Industry Follows Suit with Face Masks
But Jet Blue is far from alone in an industry that has been steadily moving toward a more widespread use of face masks. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines recently announced plans to require their flight crews to wear face coverings beginning this week, while United and Frontier issued similar orders earlier this month. American and Delta have also said they will be encouraging passengers to wear masks by handing them out before flights.
Beyond U.S. borders, Canadian authorities require all air travelers moving through Canadian airports to cover their noses and mouths. Additionally, this announcement comes before a scheduled WestJet repatriation flight from Belize to Toronto, Canada for May 4th, 2020. Read more of this article by Colin Dwyer by clicking here. 
