Spirit, Hawaiian Airlines Latest to Require Face Masks During Flights

Image: PHOTO: Passenger wears mask in airport. (photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / 1MoreCreative)

by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:11 AM ET, Mon May 4, 2020

Spirit and Hawaiian airlines are two of the latest carriers in the United States to mandate that passengers must wear facial protection to protect everyone during the coronavirus outbreak.

Spirit announced Sunday it would require all passengers to wear appropriate masks or face coverings over the nose and mouth to better align with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective May 11.

In addition, the discount airline revealed all customer-facing employees would also be required to wear face coverings.

For travelers taking to the skies with Hawaiian Airlines, they will also encounter newly enhanced health measures. Not only will passengers and employees be required to wear face coverings starting May 8, but they will also notice more personal space at check-in, boarding and during flights.

"Taking care of our guests and employees has always been our primary focus, and these new health measures will help us maintain a safe travel experience, from our lobbies to our cabins, as Hawai'i continues to make progress in containing COVID-19," Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram said in a statement. "We appreciate our guests' understanding and flexibility as we adapt our operations with their wellbeing guiding every decision we make."

American, Delta and United airlines all announced last week they will now require passengers to wear face masks on all flights, joining fellow carriers JetBlue and Frontier in combating the spread of coronavirus.

The new rule goes into effect on Monday for Delta, United and JetBlue, and May 11 for American. Delta and JetBlue will both require passengers to wear face coverings from check-in through deplaning, with the only exception being for meals.

Last month, Canada's Minister of Transport declared that all air travel passengers must wear a non-medical face mask or a covering over their mouth and nose for any flight that lands in, takes off from, or passes through the country.

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