United Airlines is requiring flight attendants to wear facemasks while on duty and is recommending that customers do the same while traveling.
The requirement for flight attendants is part of several safety protocols the carrier has put in place, including restricting advanced seat selection for adjacent seats, spacing out customers during boarding, installing plexiglass dividers at service counters and disabling self-service kiosks. In a letter to customers, SVP of worldwide sales Jake Cefolia said the carrier is the first major U.S. carrier to require flight attendants to wear masks, though Air Canada has made masks mandatory for passengers on its flights. JetBlue and Frontier also have put mask requirements in place for employees, and the Association of Flight Attendants last week asked the U.S. federal government to make masks a requirement for passengers and crew across all airlines.
Cefolia said United is testing several other initiatives, including temperature checks for flight attendants and airport employees at select airports.
(Update, April 29): United indicated that beginning in May it would provide masks to passengers without their own face coverings.
American Airlines will begin requiring flight attendants to wear masks on all flights beginning Friday, the carrier announced on Monday. In addition, American will begin distributing sanitizing wipes or gels as well as facemasks to passengers in early May, which it plans "to expand to all flights as supplies and operational conditions allow," according to the carrier.
Delta Air Lines will begin requiring all employees to wear masks or face coverings "when unable to maintain at least six feet between [them] and another employee, customer or business partner," according to a memo from executives to employees issued on Monday. Delta will "strongly encourage" passengers to wear masks and will supply them at ticket counters, gates and aboard aircraft, the memo said.
Delta's mask requirement for employees will remain in place until June 30, and the carrier will evaluate whether to extend it at that point.
(Update, April 27): This report was updated with American and Delta's requirements.