The United States government is not considering removing masks on airplanes at the moment, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious diseases expert. Moreover, masks could be here to stay indefinitely as the world continues to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not going anywhere
Repeatedly, airlines and passengers across the world have asked governments to remove masks requirements onboard flights as soon as it is possible. Nonetheless, as new COVID variants (like Omicron) expand rapidly throughout countries, top medical advisors continue to advise against lifting the mandatory requirement.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that masks should stay as something mandatory onboard flights throughout the United States. He added,
“We want to make sure people keep their masks on. I think the idea of taking masks off, in my mind, is really not something we should even be considering.”
Fauci also stated that when dealing with a closed space, even if the filtration is good, people should be taking an extra step to protect themselves.
Airlines have widely publicized that their filtration systems are incredibly safe. HEPA Filters use close-knit fibers that trap impurities from the air, removing them from circulation. They capture 99.9% of particulate matter from the air, including fungi, bacteria, and viruses. “Even though you have a good filtration system, I still believe that masks are a prudent thing to do, and we should be doing it,” Fauci added.
Fauci disagrees with Southwest
Last week, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said masks don’t add much to an airplane.
During a hearing at the US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Kelly said,
“I think the case is very strong that masks don’t add much, if anything, in the air cabin environment. It is very safe, very high quality compared to any other indoor setting.”
Later on, Doug Parker, American Airlines CEO, concurred with Gary Kelly regarding the efficacy of HEPA filters, stating that an aircraft is the safest place you can be. Parker later said that American Airlines support the federal mask mandate.
“It was issued by the TSA and in consultation with CDC and other health experts to protect the safety and well-being of our customers and team members,” he said.
Anthony Fauci and the US government clearly disagree with Kelly’s statements. They have recently extended the mask mandate until March 18, 2022. The airlines’ crews have been left to enforce this requirement and have registered 5,779 unruly passenger reports throughout the year; 4,156 have been mask-related incidents.
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Is there an impact from Omicron?
At first glance, it seemed like the Omicron variant wasn’t impacting the airlines’ demand very much. But, in the last few days, we have seen a surge in flight cancellations.
Between December 23 and 27, there have been over 8,000 cancellations throughout the world, according to CNN. In the United States, there have been approximately 2,500 cancellations in the last few days.
Worldwide, Omicron has also hit bookings. The Lufthansa Group could ax up to 33,000 flights from the winter scheduled as Omicron drives down travel demand. That’s about 10% of Lufthansa Group’s entire capacity between mid-January and February.
What do you think? Should masks be mandatory even beyond COVID? Let us know in the comments below.
