Skift Take
Flight crews are on the front lines of America's latest culture war: wearing masks. But even as some travelers are increasingly belligerent — even hostile — to these rules, leaders are optimistic that the new Biden administration will set the example from the top and shut down opposition.
“I hate going to work now,” a flight attendant at a major U.S. airline said. No, it’s not the ever present threat of Covid-19 that deters them, it’s the near constant disregard of onboard mask rules by passengers — sometimes threateningly — that that has once eager-to-fly cabin crews dreading work.
Since it became clear that the coronavirus spread through the air, airlines have mandated for months that crews and passengers wear masks in the name of safety. Carriers will ban flyers who flagrantly disregard these rules but, at least to date in the pandemic, that is the worst consequence they can expect. The Trump administration has declined to mandate masks on flights — or any other form of interstate transportation — despite calls from airlines, unions and public health officials for such a move.
Speaking to Politico in June, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao called masks a “labor-management issue” rather than a federal concern. She added that a federal rule could be too “heavy-handed,” especially if conditions changed rapidly.
On Thursday, Chao announced her resignation effective Monday, January 11, citing the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president the day before.
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