Nearly half the passengers on Southwest flight not wearing masks, Oregon man says

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A man fromPortland, Oregon says he was flying from Phoenix to Las Vegas with his 10-year-old son, when he noticed nearly half the other passengers on board were not wearing face masks.

He tells KATU News he was trying to keep his child safe and specifically chose to fly Southwest because of their policy, which requires passengers to wear a mask or a face covering.

According to Southwest Airlines’ website, the policy went into place May 11. The airline said it would provide a face covering for anyone who did not bring one before their flight.

KATU News reached out to Southwest, and a spokesperson said in part, "while our Employees are not expected to control the personal behaviors of Customers, Employees and Crews will respectfully request that Customers abide by the policy, and we have existing guidelines for managing any issue that escalates." (STATEMENT POSTED IN FULL BELOW)

Starting Monday, face masks will be required at both Portland International Airport (PDX) and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The new policy is mandatory for all passengers, employees, and contractors at the airports to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Full statement from Southwest Airlines:

"Following CDC guidance, Southwest Frontline Employees and Crews began wearing face masks or coverings on May 3, 2020 when interacting with Customers or when distancing is not feasible. On May 11, 2020, Southwest implemented a similar policy requiring Customers to wear masks as well. Southwest is notifying Customers of the mask policy in advance of their travel dates, and Customers are arriving for flights prepared to protect themselves and others by wearing a face mask or covering while traveling.

For those Customers who do not have a mask, we have them available at airport locations and onboard the aircraft.

During this pandemic, we must partly rely on common courtesy and responsible actions, as a society, to ensure compliance with public health guidance. Our current policy will not deny boarding based solely upon a Customer not wearing a mask, as we know some Customers may need to be exempt due to unique circumstances. However, we ask that all Customers comply with the policy out of respect for the safety and well-being of other Customers and our Employees.

Of course, we understand there may also be times when a Customer needs to temporarily remove their face covering; for instance, to eat, drink, take medicine, or when there is an acceptable amount of physical distancing. While our Employees are not expected to control the personal behaviors of Customers, Employees and Crews will respectfully request that Customers abide by the policy, and we have existing guidelines for managing any issue that escalates.

In addition to requiring face masks or coverings, Southwest has implemented several other measures to support the well-being of Customers and Employees. We’re using electrostatic anti-microbial spray treatments; cleaning aircraft between flights using a disinfectant with the same grade that’s used in hospitals and restaurants; implementing physical-distancing measures; limiting the number of Passengers onboard; modifying boarding procedures; and continuing to utilize HEPA air filters to circulate air throughout the cabin on every flight to remove 99.97% of airborne particles—similar to technology found in hospitals."