The struggling airline industry received a boost from Federal Aviation Administration officials who said they would leave the decision on requiring masks up to individual airlines.
During a meeting with the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said the agency would not mandate masks on flights and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be tasked with creating new safety standards to assuage fears over the spread of the coronavirus.
“Our space is aviation safety, and their space is public health,” Dickson said before adding that “these will not be regulatory mandates,” in reference to the possibility of instituting a federal mask policy.
Several Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema and Brian Schatz, pushed back against the minimal oversight.
“Reports have shown enforcement for noncompliance has been uneven and difficult,” Sinema said. “The FAA needs to do more to ensure the aviation system is mitigating the spread of the virus.”
On June 15, United Airlines announced it would crack down on passengers who refused to wear a mask by temporarily restricting their travel.
