The influential Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) has called for President Biden’s federal mask mandate that requires passengers over the age of two years old to mask up on planes and in airports to be extended until the end of September at the earliest. The union represents 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines including United, Alaska, Frontier and Spirit Airlines.
The controversial mask mandate – which mainly reinforces existing policies that had been implemented by many airlines and transport providers last May – is due to expire on May 11. The Biden administration is mulling an extension even as individual state’s drop their own mask mandates.
“We are still in the middle of the crisis,” Sara Nelson, the union’s president who has been dubbed ‘America’s most powerful flight attendant’ told the committee. “I do think it’s important that we recognize that and stay the course here with the mask policies, with all of our diligence (and) with the efforts to get the vaccine out to everyone,” she continued.
And while mask enforcement has sometimes been tricky, Nelson argues that, with time, passengers will get used to wearing masks for prolonged periods of time onboard planes and in airports – just like they’ve got used to a myriad of other changes to their flights.
“We know from experience that the flying public is ready to adapt to new behaviors when instructions are clear and rules are enforced,” Nelson said in written testimony. “Passengers learned to stop smoking, pack minimal fluids in their carry-ons, and turn off their cell phones for engine start and climb.”
“They can readily adjust to wearing a mask if federal agencies clearly and repeatedly define both the expectation and the penalties for non-compliance,” Nelson continued.
At the start of the pandemic, AFA lobbied airlines to introduce face mask rules at a time when some carriers refused to let their own staff wear masks for fear of looking unprofessional or scaring customers.
Now, the airline industry agrees that face mask rules are here to stay. Airlines for America, a trade group that represents American, Delta and United Airlines, as well as Alaska, Southwest, jetBlue and others, told the committee it supported a universal mask mandate.
In fact, the industry hopes its support for a mask mandate might convince the Biden administration to ease international travel restrictions – including the ban on non-Americans from Europe, the UK and Brazil.
“The data and science demonstrate that the right public health measures are now in place to effectively mitigate risk and allow for the safe removal of entry restrictions,” Airlines for America told the committee.
The organization has dismissed a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that suggested that blocking middle seats could reduce the risk of infection amongst plane passengers.
Where the industry and flight attendants don’t see head to head on, however, is the return of food and beverage service onboard flights. While the likes of American and Delta are slowly returning to a service that resembles something close to pre-pandemic levels, Nelson says onboard food and beverage service should be limited to essential items.
“As American’s, we are told to wear a mask in the grocery store and the doctor’s office, and if we were to remove our mask to eat a sandwich or sip a beverage in those environments, we’d be escorted off the premises”.
“Flight attendants work in one of the most densely-occupied spaces in the world with windows that don’t open, doors that aren’t available most of the time, and limited ventilation”.
And if passengers should be allowed to eat or drink, flight attendants want them to “dip and sip” non-alcoholic drinks only until the pandemic is over.
Photo Credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com
Sara Nelson is the WORST so called leader of the flight attendants. She has absolutely no concern of the flight attendants and certainly not for the public. And its not true that you must wear a mask at the grocery store. And to sip a beverage would result in removal from the premises, get out of here. She simply wants a police state and is creating more false notions about a pandemic that in reality isn’t what it’s been made out to be. Hey Sara, have you thought about how it would be for flight attendants to shout out commands during an emergency with a mask on? If pax will understand what the fas are saying? How about a decompression and how masks will interfere with securing a o2 mask? In any emergency situation where a mask will interfere with a crew members physical ability to perform their duties? I have been a flight attendant for two different carriers before and i know that Ms. Nelson is nothing more than a politician wanna be taking money from the members and doing nothing for them! It took 15yrs for flight attendants to get any kind of action for duty regulations, and that was during the Trump admin. She sure didn’t help nor did Pat Friend.
I 💯 agree with you!! She is nothing more than a hungry politician only out for herself.
We are through the worst of this “pandemic” and must show our travelers that we feel safe and it is definitely safe to fly.
Policing the mask mandate all day on flights should end in May. Her asking for an extension is solely for her own personal interest and benefit.
Shouting commands and doing other acts in an emergency, giving clear instructions during flights and having to deal with angry passengers not wanting to comply, will just get worse if we try to extend a mandate that DOES NOT need to be extended. Get off your power trip and let’s allow everyone to go back to living their lives. Those that are worried can continue to walk around with a mask on. Much easier to leave it to the public to decide. Many ppl won’t fly until they can do it without wearing a mask.
I know nothing about Sara Nelson, nor do I wish to. Many frequent travellers will not be flying wearing a mask. If the FAs are worried about their health, they should be vaccinated and wear a mask. If pax are worried about getting sick, they should stay home. If airlines want to ramp up operations and create revenue, they need to suggest masks, not require them. I will not be flying across the country wearing a mask.