While wearing face masks have become the norm, many people still refuse to use them. Delta Airlines has issued a statement saying that it banned over 400 people from flying for not adhering to mask policies.
"As of this week, we've added 460 people to our no-fly list for refusing to comply with our mask requirement," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a message to employees, per CNN Business.
The airline started enforcing its mask policy on May 4. In August, Delta announced that it had banned around 270 passengers since the beginning of the pandemic for failing to follow the guidelines. In recent months, even though the federal government hasn’t issued a nationwide mask requirement, all of the leading airlines have instituted their own mandates that passengers must wear face coverings.
In June, airlines agreed to forbid passengers from future flights if they declined to wear masks. However, airlines aren’t giving each other information about passengers who have been banned. So, if a passenger is prohibited from flying on Delta, then they can still buy a ticket on American.
In October, the CDC issued new guidance for flying, saying that traveling “increases your chances of getting and spreading” the virus. The guidance continued, “CDC strongly recommends appropriate masks be worn by all passengers and by all personnel operating the conveyance while on public conveyances.”
