Most Passengers, Staff Need Face Masks To Fly On United Airlines

NEWARK, NJ — Starting Monday, if you want to fly via United Airlines, you’ll probably need to wear a face mask.

According to United Airlines, the company is now requiring most of its passengers to wear a face covering in response to the coronavirus crisis. Staff will be providing free masks to travelers who don’t have their own, the company announced.

The airlines is making some exemptions:

“Certain customers – such as those who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a face covering, those who cannot put on or remove a face covering themselves and small children – will not be required to wear one on board.”

Masks aboard United planes aren't new. On April 24, United became the first major U.S.-based airline to require its flight attendants to wear a face mask while on duty. As of May 4, United is expanding its policy to include all of its frontline workers while they’re aboard an aircraft, including pilots, customer service agents and ramp workers.

Other steps the airline has taken amid the COVID-19 crisis include:

Enhanced cabin sanitization — “We have implemented electrostatic spraying into our cleaning procedures on all inbound long-haul international flights, and mainline overnight aircraft at our U.S. hubs. In June, all aircraft will have electrostatic spray on every one of our departures, in addition to disinfecting customer touch points and surfaces before every flight.”

State-of-the-art circulation systems — “All our mainline aircraft use a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter (like those found in hospitals) to circulate the air and removes up to 99.7% of airborne particles.”

Reduced onboard contact — “We are minimizing touchpoints by changing current food service and the temporary removal of onboard items.”

Social distancing at the airport — “At the airport, you will notice enhanced signage in both customer and employee spaces, including a 6-foot tape rule at the ticket counters which allows for minimal contact between our agents and customers. We are also working to deploy sneeze guards at key interaction points including check-in counters and gate podiums.”

Equipping employees to maintain clean environments — “We are working to provide sanitizer and other supplies to employees to deliver a safe travel experience, implementing employee temperature checks and reducing close contact.”

United isn't the only airline to require passengers to wear masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Last week, Delta Air Lines announced that it will require all customers to wear masks or face coverings at check-in, in gate areas, Sky Clubs, on jet bridges and onboard the plane, except during meal service. People unable to keep a face covering in place, including children, are exempt from the requirement.

Other airlines that are requiring passengers to wear masks include American, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Frontier.

• See related article: Delta Air Lines Says All Customers Must Wear Masks
• See related article: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)

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