Alaska Airlines to require face masks for frontline employees and flyers

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May 01, 2020, 08:02 ET

SEATTLE, May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To align with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and to keep employees and guests safe, face masks will be mandatory for guests starting May 11 and for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air employees who cannot maintain six feet of social distance from guests or co-workers, starting May 4. This includes pilots, flight attendants and customer service agents.

Face masks will be mandatory for flyers starting May 11 and for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air employees who cannot maintain six feet of social distance from others, starting May 4.

To encourage social distancing, Alaska Airlines is installing floor decals at airports to remind flyers and employees to remain separated by at least six feet.

Alaska Airlines is installing social distancing floor decals at airports to remind guests and employees to remain separated by at least six feet.

"Safety is our most important value at Alaska Airlines, and thanks to our employees we have an incredibly safe operation. In light of COVID-19, we're in a new era of air travel and are continually updating our safety standards to better protect our guests and employees. For now, this includes wearing masks, which is another layer of protection that can reduce the spread of the virus," said Max Tidwell, Alaska Airlines' vice president of safety.

Guests will be expected to bring their own mask and will be required to wear it throughout the airport and flight experience. Additional supplies will be available for anyone who forgets a face mask. Specific details about the face mask requirements will be shared with guests later next week and in pre-trip communications before their date of travel. The temporary policy will be reevaluated periodically as guidance evolves.

The face mask requirements are a few of several safety and social distancing measures Alaska Airlines is taking at the airport and in the air to support our employees and guests.

Other measures include:

Expanded enhanced cleaning on flights, which includes use of high-grade, EPA registered disinfectants to sanitize critical touchpoints like tray tables, seat belts, overhead bins, armrests and lavatories.
Expanded use of electrostatic sanitizing spray to disinfect aircraft interiors.
Limiting the number of passengers onboard and blocking middle seats on large aircraft and aisle seats on small aircraft through May 31, 2020.
Enhanced and more frequent cleaning of airport counters, lounges and high-traffic areas.
Social distancing floor decals rolled out this week at airports to remind guests and employees to remain separated by at least six feet.
Providing disposable surgical and re-usable fabric masks for employees.
Continued use of hospital-grade air filters on all planes. These HEPA filters are proven effective in removing airborne particles and cycle new air into the cabin every three minutes.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we fly. Safety is our number one priority and wearing masks will make air travel safer for everyone. We're all in this together," said Jeffrey Peterson, president of Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council, Association of Flight Attendants.

Learn more about Alaska's response to the coronavirus at https://blog.alaskaair.com/coronavirus/.

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 115 destinations across the United States and North America, providing essential air service for our guests along with moving crucial cargo shipments, such as food, medicine, mail and e-commerce deliveries. With hubs in Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Anchorage, Alaska, the airline is known for low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. With Alaska and its Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).