Two major airline CEOs question the need for masks on planes

Thursday, December 16, 2021

The CEOs of two of the nation’s major airlines say they don’t think wearing masks on planes does much to help limit exposure to COVID-19.

The comments from American Airlines (AAL) CEO Doug Parker the nation’s largest carrier and Southwest (LUV) CEO Gary Kelly came during a hearing about the financial support that airlines received from the federal government in 2020 and 2021.

But the topic of masks arose via a question from Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the Senate committee holding the hearing.



Both Kelly and Parker, who each have announced plans to retire as CEOs in the coming months, mentioned that high-grade HEPA air filters on planes capture virtually all airborne contamination and air quality is helped by how frequently cabin air is exchanged with fresh air from outside the cabin.


After the hearing, American Airlines tried to walk back Parker’s remarks.
It issued a statement claiming that his concurrence with Kelly was on the point about the quality of the air in the aircraft cabin, not mask requirements.

Sara Nelson, the President of the Association of Flight Attendants, testified at the hearing that not all aircraft are equipped with the same quality of air filters. For example, some older planes do not have HEPA filters, she said.

The mask requirement is still a source of controversy. Much of the steep rise of in incidents involving unruly passengers over the last two years have revolved around passengers being ordered to wear masks.


Masks on planes are required by the federal government, following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control. The DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the testimony.
The remarks by Kelly and Parker were criticized by one committee member, Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat.


Nelson, who Markey was questioning, agreed that while she hopes that one day masks will not be required, she does not support lifting the mask mandate at this time.

Nelson said that the confidence in the safety of air travel is the reason people are willing to buy airline tickets in near pre-pandemic levels today.
She said that the mask mandate is one of the factors leading to that confidence by airline passengers.

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