Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio says the Federal Aviation Administration should require masks on airplanes. The Springfield Democrat chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, and is pushing for the rule.
After voting for the latest Coronavirus relief package last week, DeFazio flew home from Washington D.C. in coach, as is his custom.
“It wasn’t great. The planes weren’t very crowded but a lot of people weren’t wearing masks. The flight attendants, two of them weren’t wearing masks, and two were wearing masks, but then they all got together in the front galley to chat and took their masks down, so they weren’t observing social distancing.”
DeFazio points out that droplets containing the covid-19 virus can linger for hours after a cough or sneeze, or speech, and even a handmade mask can prevent those droplets from being released. DeFazio says airlines cannot do business as usual during the pandemic. He says the FAA has the authority to require masks at airports and on planes, but they’re leaving it up to airlines to make the rules.
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