US: Face mask rules grow but enforcement proves a challenge

All major US airlines have rolled out requirements for passengers and crew to wear face coverings in response to concerns over contagion. But the rules are only effective if people are willing to follow them and if the companies ferrying passengers are serious about enforcement. Pilots worry that travelers could remove their masks and spark a confrontation with others during a flight. They are pressing the FAA to require masks instead of leaving it up to individual airlines. “I can’t imagine the stir on the airplane if someone takes off their mask,” said Dennis Tajer, a 737 pilot and spokesman for the pilots’ union at American Airlines. “It puts the flight crew in a precarious position." On airplanes, enforcement appears to be spotty at best. American Airlines has told pilots that gate agents may deny passengers from boarding if they aren't wearing a mask but it doesn’t expect crews to continue policing once they're in the air. “Once on board and off the gate, the face covering policy will become more lenient,” according to an American Airlines memo to pilots. "The flight attendant’s role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face covering policy. The flight attendants are instructed not to escalate the issue if the passenger refuses to wear a face covering and to consider options, such as reseating if other passengers are involved, to defuse the situation.” Even with enforcement, the effectiveness of masks is questionable, especially on planes when passengers remove them for snacks and drinks, touch their faces and spread germs. And in general, many people are donning masks incorrectly, in ways that could increase risks, experts said.<br/>