Flight attendants are happy to have their masks removed

During the past two years, the faces wearing masks at the airport and on the plane have been a persistent reminder of the existence of Covid-19 when traveling by air. On April 18, many major US airlines such as American Airlines, Alaska Air, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines… Remove the requirement to wear a mask on the plane following a court ruling in Florida.

Passengers and crew received the verdict with joy, relief mixed with anxiety. For some, this change creates new stress because Covid-19 does in fact persist. For many others, not wearing a mask relieves them of stress and discomfort.

Above Twitter, a series of flight attendants shared the joy of removing masks. Amanda, of Orlando, said: “I’m glad I don’t have to wear a mask when I fly. I’m so tired of passengers yelling at me when I’m reminded to wear a mask.” The account @beestingbea said: “My dream job has been turned into a nightmare by passengers not wearing masks. 90% of people in the industry want this regulation to end for the physical safety of the flight attendants. There was too much anger.”

For flight attendants and pilots, the mandatory wearing of masks is a source of stress and frustration even as they admit that masks are protective during contact with strangers. For many flight attendants, the tension is more apparent when they themselves are assault by passengers during the process of requiring them to wear masks.

An unnamed hostess shared with Insider about the difficulties with the current mask regulation and she is really glad that this is over. “The first year of the pandemic was pleasant when the fear of Covid-19 was strong enough for people to wear masks, not want to protest the flight attendants. But then they lost patience, got angry when we tried to try. complete mission”. The hostess also shared that before the epidemic, she loved her job much more. “I love delivering food, keeping passengers safe, chatting with colleagues and guests. But now, there’s a tension between flight attendants. Many people have to look for other jobs. I’m too exhausted. with the mental effort that must be devoted to the work,” she confided.

David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways and now chief executive officer of Breeze Airways, said: “They don’t like being the police on the plane. It’s not something they want to do, and I think it creates a lot of confusion. provoke customers”. The US Federal Aviation Administration began more than 1,000 investigations into negative passenger behavior last year and found that there is an average increase of 140 violent passengers each year compared with the previous decade.

Crew groups have called on federal agencies to take a “stronger hand” to punish violent passengers. Some lawmakers have proposed tougher penalties like a no-fly list, but the bill’s prospects are unclear as some Republicans oppose putting people on the no-fly list.

Some flight attendants said that lifting the requirement to wear masks helps them reveal their faces – an important tool to de-escalate the conflict. “Even just a smile, or saying ‘Good morning!’, ‘Good afternoon’… can help reduce cabin stress,” said Lyn Montgomery, President of the local 566 Transport Workers Union. , which represents about 17,000 flight attendants for Southwest Airlines. “It seems like a small thing, but it’s actually something we use a lot.”

However, the fact that things returned to normal so quickly in the US made some people worried. Many health experts say that removing masks will increase the possibility of exposure to the virus. While masks are most effective when all passengers are wearing them, experts say individuals still benefit from being the only one in the crowd wearing a mask.

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