American, Delta, Lufthansa to Require Passengers Wear Face Masks

Two major U.S. airlines and one European carrier announced they would require passengers to wear face masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The move comes two days after JetBlue Airways announced a similar policy and a week after Air Canada’s announcement.

Earlier in the week, American Airlines said it would provide passengers with face masks and disinfectant wipes when it announced flight attendants would be required to wear masks.   Passengers will be required to wear a face covering or mask while on board the aircraft starting May 11, 2020.

Delta’s requirement goes into effect the same day as JetBlue’s, May 4.

“We take seriously the CDC guidelines for adding this extra layer of protection,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s customer experience officer.

Lufthansa Group, parent of Germany’s flag carrier as well as of Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines, announced that passengers and flight attendants would be required to wear masks “while on board their flights” starting May 4.

Denver-based Frontier, a low-cost carrier that began to require its crewmembers to wear a face mask on April 13, announced a similar policy.  It said it will require “that passengers wear a face covering over their nose and mouth at the airline’s ticket counters, gate areas and onboard Frontier aircraft” starting May 8.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)