For flight attendants, getting people to wear masks is now one of the hardest parts of the job

In one case, a flight attendant said four passengers who did not want to keep their masks harassed her for what they called “a simple mask problem”. The situation became so tense that the plane had to return to its door. In another incident, a passenger who kept removing his mask rolled his eyes and told a flight attendant to be quiet. Then he shouted, “SHUT UP!”

Other flight attendants were faced with aggressive and passive displays of defiance. A flight attendant said a passenger refused to put on his mask after in-flight beverage service despite multiple warnings. Finally, he said to the crew, “Well, if I’m holding my water bottle, I can’t wear my mask, can I?” He then slowly sipped water for the remainder of the flight, exploiting a policy that allows passengers to remove their masks while actively eating or drinking.

Flight attendants are placed in a difficult situation

When airlines put in place mandatory mask policies to maintain their business operations, the task of enforcing them often falls on flight attendants. In the United States, where such a basic security measure against Covid-19 is highly politicized, this task can be difficult. Sometimes it’s downright dangerous.

“Enforcing mass compliance has been one of the most difficult parts of our job,” says Allie Malis, flight attendant for American Airlines and government affairs representative for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. “We are seen as essential workers, but there is no risk premium or anything like that.”

While airlines and crew note that a large majority of passengers abide by mask policies, flight attendant unions say their members regularly encounter travelers who respond with belligerent, verbal threats. and even physical assaults.

In the absence of federal mask regulations, many flight attendants felt there was little they could do to ensure compliance – or protect themselves against backlash and assault.

But with President Joe Biden planning to issue an executive order on Thursday requiring masks at airports and on airplanes, that could be about to change.

FAA takes a tougher approach

Until March 30, 2021, passengers who assault, threaten, intimidate or inconvenience airline crew members can face fines of up to $ 35,000 and even jail time, according to the report. FAA. The agency had previously dealt with such cases through warnings and civil penalties, among other methods.

In a Jan. 13 press release, the FAA said it had seen “a worrying increase in incidents where airline passengers disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior,” citing both the refusal of passengers to wear masks and the recent violence at the United States Capitol.

In one of the cases, the agency alleged that a passenger on an Allegiant Air flight last August struck a flight attendant, shouted profanity and grabbed a phone from him as they spoke to the captain about the denial. the passenger to wear a mask. The agency proposed a fine of $ 15,000.

In another case the same month, a passenger on a SkyWest Airlines flight from Atlanta to Chicago removed his mask, harassed other passengers and sexually harassed a flight attendant, the FAA alleged. The agency proposed a fine of $ 7,500.

Federal mask warrant would provide safeguard, unions say

Still, a federal requirement to wear masks on planes would provide essential support to flight attendants who regularly deal with unruly passengers, according to flight attendant unions.

“The lack of federal guidelines or mandates made the job (of flight attendants) more difficult, and it was made more difficult by inconsistent mask mandates across the United States,” said Taylor Garland, door – spoken by Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, to CNN.

Garland added that a common line flight attendants would hear from passengers not wanting to wear masks is that “it’s not the law.” A federal requirement, she said, “would eliminate this topic of discussion for them.”

Defenders say it would also make things fairer

A federal mask warrant would also address what passenger rights groups see as a problem of uneven enforcement resulting from airlines being left alone to institute and enforce Covid-19 security measures.

“It is very doubtful what authority airlines have in public places to tell people they should wear a mask and if not what the penalties might be,” Paul told CNN Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org.

“Suppose we left it up to the airlines to decide whether you could smoke on an airplane. This was the case for a long time, and each airline had its own policy. It didn’t work out very well, ”he says. “Uniform rules and laws are the best and often the only way to ensure fairness, safety and security in this case.”

Then-Secretary of Transportation’s attorney general Elaine Chao wrote in a letter that such regulations were unnecessary, citing protocols issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and masking policies already in place. up by airlines and other transportation systems. The ministry also added “there should not be more regulations than necessary”.

There are still questions

Questions remain about exactly when Biden’s executive order requiring masks on interstate travel will come into effect and how it will be enforced.

Supporters such as Hudson feared it would be enforceable without formal approval from the Department of Transportation.

Still, airlines and flight attendants are optimistic.

“Joe Biden has made it clear that he intends to institute a national mandate at all levels, but also specifically for transport, including airplanes,” Garland said. “This will go a long way in supporting the flight attendants and making it very clear that you must come to the plane with a mask on and keep it on at all times.”