The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) applauded this week aviation leader support for the implementation of uniform federal requirements for masks and aviation safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) recently forwarded correspondence to regulators calling for a federal mandate requiring passengers and flight crew members to wear masks on airplanes.
“Representative Cohen has a strong track record of supporting Flight Attendants, and we appreciate him voicing the need for a federal regulation that would ensure masks are worn by all on airplanes,” said Julie Hedrick, national president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.
Hedrick also forwarded correspondence to lawmakers and regulators. CDC guidelines instructing citizens not to gather in groups, to stay out of crowded places, to avoid mass gatherings, and to keep six feet of distance from other people cannot be followed inside an aircraft.
“We need our regulatory agencies—DOT, FAA (CAMI), HHS, CDC,—to join with Flight Attendants, epidemiologists and other experts in forming a national task force immediately so that we can develop science-based safety procedures that mitigate risk for air travelers and crewmembers,” Hedrick wrote. “So far, the FAA directive has been dangerously insufficient. Terms such as ‘whenever possible’ and ‘to the extent possible’ are not strong enough to ensure our safety.”
The APFA maintains since China’s notification of international health officials regarding coronavirus in December, 430,000 people have landed in the United States on direct flights from China.
“We know that air travel contributed to the spread of the virus in the US, and APFA has been sounding the alarm on this viral outbreak since January,” Hedrick concluded. “However, air travel can also contribute to flattening the curve, and that is by requiring that all passengers wear masks and follow science-based health and safety procedures.”