JetBlue Begins Requiring All Customers to Wear Face Coverings During Travel
April 27 2020 - 8:31PM
Business Wire
New Policy Takes Effect May 4; Just One of Many
Precautions the Airline is Taking to Protect Crewmembers and
Customers
JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced that starting May 4 all
customers will be required to wear a face covering during travel.
The policy comes after the airline began requiring all crewmembers
to wear face coverings while working. JetBlue has modeled its
policy on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines that
indicate all individuals should wear a face covering in public to
help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself it’s
about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, president
and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “This is the new flying
etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned
through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where
we have to be considerate of others. We are also asking our
customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as
well.”
This new policy will require customers to wear a face covering
over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including
during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning. Customers
will be reminded of this requirement before their flight via email
and at the airport by both terminal signage and announcements.
Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are
exempt from this requirement.
CDC guidance defines a suitable face covering as an item of
cloth that should fit snugly against the side of the face, be
secured with ties or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric
and allow for unrestricted breathing. The CDC recommends surgical
masks and N-95 respirators be reserved for healthcare workers and
other medical first responders.
Maintaining distance onboard whenever possible
Beyond face covering requirements for crewmembers and customers,
since late March, JetBlue has limited the number of seats available
for sale on most flights, allowing the airline to provide
additional space between individuals who are not traveling
together. Before each flight, JetBlue reviews seat assignments to
ensure as much personal space as possible. In addition, rows near
crewmember jump seats have been blocked off to create buffer zones
for added crewmember and customer safety.
Safety enhancements throughout the journey
All of JetBlue’s aircraft are equipped with hospital grade
high-efficiency air particulate (HEPA) filters. All recirculated
air is passed through these HEPA filters before re-entering the
cabin and being mixed with fresh air. All of the air in the cabin
is, on average, completely changed every three minutes. HEPA
filters are capable of removing 99.97 percent of particles,
bacteria and viruses. To learn about how air circulates onboard
JetBlue’s fleet, view this JetBlue video at
https://youtu.be/Q2_C2iN-tEs.
Since the coronavirus began spreading in the United States,
JetBlue has increased the rigor of its aircraft cleanings at night
and between flights, using disinfectant approved to kill the
coronavirus. Cleanings have been focused on the places customers
and crewmembers touch the most, including seat covers, seatbelts,
tray tables and armrests. Traditional food and beverage service
have been adjusted onboard to limit touchpoints between crewmembers
and customers. To learn about all the additional measures JetBlue
has implemented visit http://blog.jetblue.com/coronavirus.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier
in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach),
Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 42 million
customers a year to nearly 100 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and
Latin America with an average of more than 1,000 daily flights. For
more information please visit jetblue.com.
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JetBlue Corporate Communications Tel: +1.718.709.3089
corpcomm@jetblue.com
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