Airlines warn passengers: Wear a mask or you can’t fly

US airlines are cracking down on travelers who refuse to wear face masks onboard, a requirement that aims to protect passengers and crews from Covid-19. The federal government recommends but doesn’t mandate face coverings like masks for air travelers and for other situations where physical distancing is difficult. So last month, US carriers began requiring passengers to wear them on board, with some exceptions such as medical issues or if travelers are eating or drinking. “We take the requirement to wear a mask very seriously,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a staff note Thursday. “Customers who choose not to comply with this or any other safety requirement risk losing their future flight privileges with Delta. So far, there have thankfully only been a handful of cases, but we have already banned some passengers from future travel on Delta for refusing to wear masks on board.” American Airlines last week said it prohibited a traveller from flying on the airline after he refused to wear a mask onboard and was asked to leave a flight in New York. The ban will be in effect as long as American requires masks on flights, it said. For its part, Southwest said it won’t let travelers on if they don’t wear a face mask. The Department of Transportation hasn’t mandated masks onboard, but says travellers should wear them on flights, citing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<br/>