Countless People Banned From Flying Over Face Mask Refusal

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• Aug 10, 2020

Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian is reporting that dozens of passengers have been banned from flying with the airline for refusal to comply with the airline industry’s mask policy. This also means that those people will be banned from making future reservations with the airline.

"We've had well over 100 people that have refused to keep their mask on during the flight," he added.

Major airlines in the United States warned flyers in mid-June that they would be banned from flying for refusal to wear masks during air travel. Airlines have recently stepped up enforcement measures. Although not specifically mandated by the government, airlines have been enforcing their own policies for those people who refuse to “mask-up.”

Delta has some of the strictest pandemic-related policies in the industry, including requiring health screenings for passengers who cannot wear masks and pledging to leave middle seats empty to put distance between travelers. Bastian said in a separate interview with CNN last month that the vast majority of Delta passengers are compliant. But the customers who are not have caused disruptions.

Most recently, a Delta flight returned to the gate before take-off because two customers refused to wear masks. They were taken off the flight, which was taking off from Detroit.

"You can't get on the plane without wearing your mask. But we do have some customers that don't want to keep their mask on during flight," Bastian said. "We remind them several times over the course of getting ready to take off to please keep that mask on. But if they insist upon not wearing it — we insist that they're not going to travel on Delta today."

Bastian has made a focus on health-related policies a core part of Delta's response to the pandemic. He also told employees it is imperative to boost customer satisfaction by assuring passengers that safety is the core of the Delta strategy.