Passengers, almost all with face masks, will board an American Airlines flight to Charlotte on May 3, 2020 in New York City.
Eleonore Sens | AFP | Getty Images
President Joe Biden on Thursday signed an executive order requiring masks to be worn on planes, trains, buses and at airports as coronavirus infections continue to climb.
The Trump administration has refused to set up masks for air travel and other means of transportation, leaving it to private companies to draw up their own policies, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly recommended their use.
This left flight attendants and other employees to enforce the rules. Trade unions campaigning for a federal mask mandate have encouraged Biden’s order.
“What a difference leadership makes! We welcome President Biden’s nationwide approach to destroying the virus and getting us out of this pandemic,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the nation’s largest air hostess union. , in a statement. ‘Today’s executive action on a masked mandate for interstate travel, including airports and aircraft, will provide the necessary backing for flight attendants and aviation workers at the forefront.
Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents the cabin crew of American Airlines, also applauded the move.
“As passengers travel through different airlines and through different airports, they deserve clear expectations about the rules. We thank President Biden for immediately overseeing this,” she said in a statement.
All major U.S. airlines require travelers to wear masks on board – a policy that extends to airports. Airline executives say the vast majority of customers follow the rule, but they have promised to take a hard line against those who refuse. During last week, airlines banned more than 2,500 people from flying because they refused to wear face masks. The FAA noted that some rare cases have even become violent.
The FAA warned this month that it would crack down on illegal behavior and on travelers who did not follow the crew’s instructions, fining travelers up to $ 35,000.
Air travelers, including civilians, will also have to show a recent negative Covid-19 test result before flying from abroad to the US, Biden ordered, reiterating a CDC policy introduced last week. This rule comes into effect on Tuesday.
Biden said travelers should self-quarantine upon arrival.