Delta Air Lines chief executive officer (CEO) Ed Bastian said that they have banned more than 100 people from flying for refusing to wear masks.
Delta CEO Bastian said dozens of people have been banned from flying on Delta airplanes after they refused to comply with the airline industry's mask policies that require wearing masks during the flight.
He said: "We've had well over 100 people that have refused to keep their mask on during the flight."
A Delta spokesperson confirmed that the people Bastian was referring to will no longer be able to book future flights on Delta.
Stricter rules on masks
In mid-June, major US carriers, including Delta, have warned that they would start banning passengers who refuse to wear masks during air travel as part of an initiative to strengthen the implementation of the policy.
While the federal government has not made wearing masks mandatory, it has left the decision to airlines to enforce their own policies regarding the issue.
Delta has put in place some of the strictest pandemic-related policies among airlines, which include requiring health screenings for passengers who cannot wear masks and leaving middle seats empty to place distance between passengers.
Bastian mentioned that while the vast majority of Delta passengers are compliant, those who were not have caused disruptions. The airline reported last week that a Delta flight taking off from Detroit was forced to return to the gate when two of their customers refused to wear masks.
The Delta CEO said: "You can't get on the plane without wearing your mask. But we do have some customers that don't want to keep their mask on during flight."
"We remind them several times over the course of getting ready to take off to please keep that mask on. But if they insist upon not wearing it — we insist that they're not going to travel on Delta today," he added.
Focus on health
Under Bastian's leadership, Delta has been focusing on health-related policies as an integral part of its strategy amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Bastian, in a letter to employees on Thursday, emphasized on boosting customer satisfaction and assuring passengers that their safety is a key part of Delta's current business strategy.
He said: "We want to ensure that those who travel now are choosing Delta. That will help bring in the additional revenue we need to reduce our cash burn. It also will build additional loyalty and affinity for our brand, which will power our growth when demand begins to come back."
Walmart's mask policy
Stringent policies regarding mask-wearing are not exclusive to airlines. On July 20, Walmart started implementing a policy requiring facial coverings from its customers.
Around 65% of Walmart’s more than 5,000 stores, including its Sam’s Club locations, are in areas where mask wearing has been mandated by the government.
"To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting Monday, July 20," Walmart US chief operating officer Dacona Smith and Sam’s Club chief operating officer Lance De La Rosa wrote in a blog post.
"This will give us time to inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols."
According to Walmart, the mask policy will be enforced by positioning “health ambassadors” near the entrance to remind customers about the new requirement.
