Media Release. The staff (counter and on the jet) were super cool, fun, and professional. Southwest had an old system, and Montgomery said it broke down during even mild hiccups, forcing the employees to call in. United Airlines:Effective immediately, masks are no longer required at United on domestic flights, select international flights (dependent upon the arrival countrys mask requirements) or at U.S. airports. Please note that individual airports and municipalities may still require masks so customers and team members should continue to abide by mask rules within any facility that may require it," the airline said in a statement Monday. No, federal law no longer requires that masks be worn in the airport or on the plane, but certain cities or states may still be requiring them at their airports. left: 467px !important; div.footer div.flex-placement b a:hover { Test at least five days after exposure and if result is positive, go into isolation for five days. Photo Illustration by Leslie dela Vega/The New York Times; photograph by Weerayut Ranmai/EyeEm, via Getty Images. The Equifax C.E.O., Richard Smith, did resign. Then when the pandemic hit, like other airlines, Southwest received billions from the government in grants and low-interest loans. While no longer required, customers and crewmembers are welcome to continue wearing masks in our terminals and on board our aircraft." Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines both directed. The number of reported cases in the U.S. jumped nearly 20% the week of April 13, according to the CDC, compared to the previous week. Frontier Airlines: Effective immediately, passengers and employees are no longer required to wear masks on Frontier flights. A Dutch flag carrier KLM spokesperson told TPG it finds the decision "inappropriate, given the phase the pandemic is in,"and said it will "no longer monitor this from March 23," and instead "strongly recommend that our passengers wear a face mask on board in line with EASA and ICAO guidelines.". ORLANDO, Fla. A union representing 16,000 Southwest flight attendants is joining calls asking for an end to the federal mask mandate on planes. Use of the Southwest websites and our Company Information constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions. color:#111B40; By. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. } Cases have been rising, but hospitalizations have remained relatively low. A Louisiana man was taken off a Southwest flight at Orlando International Airport Thursday after he reportedly became irate over being forced to wear a mask, according to an arrest affidavit. For additional information, we also invite you to contact Airlines for America, our trade association, for an industry perspective on this development. content: "(Temporarily suspended. You might be wondering how Southwest can lose track of where the crews are and why anyone has to call in at all, since the company presumably should know exactly which flights got canceled and who flew where, based on passenger lists. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Additionally, Southwest will continue supporting the comfort of those who travel with us by offering additional layers of protection, including sophisticated cabin air ventilation systems onboard our aircraft which incorporate HEPA air filtration that removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles. "For our guests traveling internationally, please remember to check country-specific airport requirements before traveling.". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and airline rules give pilots the latitude to remove face masks if. The Shameful Open Secret Behind Southwests Failure, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/opinion/southwest-airlines-computers.html. Communications to customers and in-airport signage and announcements will be updated to share that masking is now optional this may take a short period of time.". For more information, please visitSouthwest.com/wannaoffsetcarbon. A number of major airlines including American, United, Southwest, Delta and Alaska quickly announced that masks would now be optional for customers and employees domestically and on. "We appreciate your patience and understanding as we update our communications and announcements to reflect this change.". And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Southwest Airlines Co. All Rights Reserved. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). white-space: normal; As of December 2022, Southwest Airlines operates 771 aircraft. In 2021, one passenger who refused to wear a mask hit a Southwest flight attendant with his bags, and was fined $16,500. "Passengers and employees still have the option to wear masks in airports and on aircraft if they so choose.". Among its recommendations, the travel organizations asked that the White House collaborate internationally to "normalize" travel conditions and entry requirements. "On flights where using a mask is an authority requirement, you are required to wear a mask throughout the flight. Well continue to monitor public health guidance, and federal requirements, while always keeping safety as our uncompromising priority. Our aircraft are designed with an air circulation system that mixes in fresh air from outside the plane with air inside the plane. United, American, Southwest, Delta, Alaska and other airlines said late Monday they were dropping their face mask requirement effective immediately, given a federal judge's ruling in Florida. You can remove your mask for a short, limited . Do you use HEPA filters onboard your plane? 2022, on flights where masks are no longer legally required at both ends of the route, we will not mandate customers and crew to wear masks on board the flight," read a company . Airlines began requiring masks before the government did. Overseas airlines are having to cancel hundreds of flights as they grapple with coronavirus -related staffing shortages weeks after they ditched rules . Despite the relaxed policies, many countries, like France and Germany, still require face coverings to be worn on public transportation, including on aircraft and in airports, according to data provider World Population Reviews. Mask mandates in airports and on planes will continue until April 18. March 23, 2022 The chief executives of the largest U.S. airlines asked President Biden on Wednesday to allow a federal mask mandate at airports and on planes to expire next month. Aviation is a world-wide network that harmonizes safety procedures around the world. "With declining hospitalization rates, increased immunity, widely available vaccines and cutting-edge treatments on the horizon, America is reaching an inflection point where endemic-focused policies can replace pandemic-driven restrictions," said the letter, which was signed by Airlines for America, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Travel Association. Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. However, even with the shiniest hardware, the software that plays a critical role inside many systems is too often antiquated and, in some cases, decades old. A placard declaring, Another victim of SWAs outdated technology, with a graphic showing a stuck software progress bar. Airlines,unions and consumer advocates pushed the federal government for months to mandate the policy, so flight attendants would have backing when encountering passenger resistance but found no support from President Donald Trump's administration. Despite updated COVID-19 mask guidance announced Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the lifting of mask mandates across the country, the federal mask mandate covering. width: 1px; The group -- which includes the heads of American Airlines . The mandate had been set to expire on March 18. American Airlines said "face masks will no longer be required for our customers and team members at U.S. airports and on domestic flights." "Please note face masks may still be required based on . Southwest Airlines Launches Sale with Fares as Low as $49 One-Way. Finnair became the latest airline to scrap mask requirements on its flights to and from destinations that no longer require it. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. For example, after the 2017 Equifax breach, which exposed sensitive information from 143 million Americans because the company failed to institute a routine security update to its software, it agreed to pay a penalty of at least $575 million to the Federal Trade Commission. width:556px !important When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Updated. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you. Update on Federal Mask Mandate. As a result, our crew schedulers tackled the issue manually, which is a tedious, long process that takes time and trained resources to accomplish.. Gary Kelly, the recently retired CEO of Southwest Airlines, testified to congress that masks do little to help on airplanes given how safe airplanes are in the first place. April 18, 2022 After a federal judge struck down a nationwide mask requirement for airplanes, trains, buses and other public transportation on Monday, the country's largest airlines said they. "We will continue to closely monitor the situation in the event of changes.". Finnair dropped the face mask mandate on April 25th. Well continue to monitor public health guidance, and federal requirements, while always keeping safety as our uncompromising priority. The mandate is currently set to end on April 18. Airplanes and airports are among the few remaining places where face masks are required, but they might not be after Sept. 13 if the rule . "This sudden end to the mask mandate may be confusing for some customers," the memo said. margin: -1px; JetBlue Airwayswas the first carrier to announce the move, and other airlines quickly matched itspolicy. left: 482px !important; 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. As a result of this development, effective immediately, Southwest Employees and Customers will be able to choose whether they would like to wear a mask on flights, at domestic airports, and at some international locations. Without more government regulation and oversight and greater accountability, we may see more fiascos like this one, which most likely stranded hundreds of thousands of Southwest passengers perhaps more than a million over Christmas week. Fast forward two years, and airlines, which pushed for an end to the mandate, are rushing to remove the mask requirement. Willis Orlando, of the website Scotts Cheap Flights, said theres been an increase in unruly passengers due to the mask mandate. Can I bring my own wipes and hand sanitizers? Thereafter, the White House announced the masking order is not in effect, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will not enforce the federal mask mandate at this time. However, on Monday, a Florida federal judge struck down the Administration's mandate. For example, if crew members from Buffalo dont arrive in Baltimore because their flight was canceled, the employees have had to manually call in to let the company know where they are and get hotels arranged for them. "The mask requirement remains in place and we will continue to assess the duration of the requirement in consultation with CDC," Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Robert Langston said in a statement Friday. Others have disputed . Privacy Policy Trademarks Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. . of Southwest in 2004, retired this year, with an estimated net worth in the tens of millions of dollars, so the crisis did indeed occur under someone elses tenure. The aircraft landed safely. For additional information, we also invite you to contactAirlines for America, our trade association, for an industry perspective on this development. Following the decision, American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest quickly announced that passengers and staff would no longer be asked to wear masks on their planes. } "We understand some guests may want to continue wearing face coverings on flights, and thats perfectly fine under our optional policy," the airline said in a statement. All rights reserved. Likewise, in October of 2021, when Southwest experienced another cancellation crisis, the president of the pilots union pointed out that the antiquated crew-scheduling technology was leading to cascading disruptions. Download PDF (English) American Airlines has prioritized the health and safety of its team members and customers throughout the pandemic and has supported the federal government's measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. Southwest Airlines: Masks No Longer Required "Effective immediately, Southwest Employees and Customers will be able to choose whether they would like to wear a mask on flights, at domestic. WASHINGTON After a federal judge struck down the federal mask mandate covering air travel and other public transportation Monday, major U.S. airlines are . Ultimately, the problem is that we havent built a regulatory environment in which companies have incentives to address technical debt, rather than passing the burden on to customers, employees or the next management. "While the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, is no longer enforcing its mask mandate, it may take time for individual airports to roll back their mask requirements," the airline said in a statement. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a large union representing flight attendants at airlines including United, Alaska, Hawaiian, Spirit and Frontier, expects it will be extended again. overflow: hidden; May 2020: JetBlue Airways becomes thefirst U.S. airline to require masks for passengers, a policy quickly matched by other airlines. as well as other partner offers and accept our. There is information in the previous heading. United, American, Southwest, Delta, Alaska and other airlines said late Monday they were dropping their face mask requirement effective immediately, given a federal judge's ruling in Florida. , major U.S. airlines are having to cancel hundreds of flights as they with. Health guidance, and professional Shareholders ( NYSE: LUV ) to contactAirlines for America, our trade,... Not Sell/Share my Personal Information placard declaring, Another victim of SWAs outdated technology, a! Florida federal judge struck down the federal mask mandate Inc. | All Rights.. 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