Southwest Airlines is pledging to frequently clean and disinfect aircraft and take other measures to make passengers feel safe while flying. That means flight attendants will be wearing masks, and passengers are also being told they must wear masks.
“Customers will be required to wear a mask or a face covering in the airport and on the plane beginning May 11,” the company states on its web site. “If you do not bring a mask or a face covering, Southwest will provide you with one.”
The policy makes exceptions for small children, passengers with medical conditions that may prevent them from wearing a face covering, and in the event cabin depressurization causes the oxygen masks to deploy.
However, CNN reports an internal memo it obtained instructs attendants not to deny boarding “soley based on a customer’s refusal” to wear a mask, and to treat any such situation with “empathy and respect.”