Airlines get tough on wearing masks

The crackdown on wearing masks in the cabin has begun.

US airlines are ready to penalize passengers who refuse to wear a mask and could ban them from flying

Nearly all airlines have a mandatory mask policy and can stop passengers at the gate if masks are not being worn.

However once in the air, airlines have not been enforcing it to minimize potential confrontation with flyers.

Now airlines are threatening denial of service to encourage passengers to comply.

Trade group Airlines for America says several airlines have issued new rules that could see flying privileges being revoked for those that refuse to wear face coverings.

These include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, A4A said.

Airlines will inform their passengers about the policy and repeat it during pre-flight announcements.

Each carrier will determine their own penalties for non-compliant passengers.

United Airlines now requires passengers to fill out a flight checklist in which they must agree to wear face coverings.

If they fail to do so they may be banned ‘for a duration of time to be determined pending a comprehensive incident review.’

Lawmakers and cabin crew unions say the most effective way to manage it is with federal government intervention.

"The federal government has completely abdicated its responsibility to keep the flying public and aviation workers safe during Covid-19. The industry alone cannot fix this," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendant-CWA.