American low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways will ask all passengers to wear face masks at check-in and boarding, as well as on board flights.
The move comes after the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines in early April, calling for citizens to wear face masks “in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.”
“We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well,” said Joanna Geraghty, the airline’s president and chief operating officer. “Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself; it’s about protecting those around you.”
Though the government and major airlines in the US have been reluctant to embrace the idea, Canadian Minister of Transport Marc Garneau issued a decree in recent weeks requiring all passengers travelling by air to and from Canada to cover their nose and mouth with either a face mask or face covering.
The new policy has been effective since noon EDT on 20 April. JetBlue’s policy comes into effect on 4 May.
