Airline executive says masks 'don't add much' on flights

The Hill ^ | 12/16/21 | RACHEL SCULLY

[redguyinabluestate]

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told a Senate panel on Wednesday that the air in passenger jets' cabins is so clean that face masks "don't add much" additional protection against the spread of COVID-19 on planes.

"The statistics, I recall, is that 99.97 percent of airborne pathogens are captured by the HEPA [high-efficiency particulate air] filtering system, and it's turned over every two or three minutes," Kelly told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee during a hearing on airline oversight.

“I think the case is very strong that masks don’t add much, if anything, in the air cabin,” he said. “The environment is very safe, very high quality compared to any other indoor setting.”

Southwest Airlines later said in a statement to The Hill that the "sophisticated air distribution system introduces fresh, outdoor air and HEPA-filtered air into the cabin, creating a protective environment prior to the added layer of wearing a mask."

"Southwest Airlines continues to abide by the federal mask mandate for customers and employees both within the airport environment and onboard all Southwest aircraft," the airline added.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker added during the hearing that an "aircraft is the safest place you can be."

"That’s true of all of our aircraft,” he said.

American Airlines spokeswoman Stacy Day later clarified to The Hill that Parker's statements were not intended to "cast doubt on the necessity of face masks on planes."

"As noted in Doug’s testimony, we support the federal mask mandate, and masks are an important part of our commitment to keeping our customers and team members healthy and safe," Day said.

Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams, however, called the executives' remarks at the hearing "irresponsible."

"These folks are making record money right now because of these mask mandates. I was disgusted when I heard that," he said during an appearance early Thursday on CNN's "New Day."

[T.B. Yoits]

If this really was a pandemic, air filters from aircraft would have been regularly tested for the Wuhanic Plague. If this really was a pandemic, their would be outbreaks among air crews.

Such tests would have told where and when it was spread. Instead, because no one in government was worried about an actual pandemic, they never checked the air systems and instead announced illegal face-diaper diktats.

[woodbutcher1963]

I could understand why the pilot and copilot would not get sick from the passengers because they are totally separated in the aircraft.

The flight attendants come in close contact with many passengers. They could easily spread viruses.

[T.B. Yoits]

From the article:"As noted in Doug’s testimony, we support the federal mask mandate..." Day said.

So...they support an illegal mandate that's already been thrown out by the courts?

I suspect these airlines are having increasing incidents with passengers and can't risk bad press, especially if the individuals involved are from a protected racial class.

[Luke21]

Between the TSA and masks, flying resembles a day in jail. They should pass out jumpsuits.

[Mygirlsmom]

“EVERY last person on any given flight is breathing in someone else’s germs AND then exhaling theirs to everybody else in there - mask or no mask.”

Fortunately, that’s a FEATURE for our immune systems, not a BUG (ha!)

I can’t get over how quickly many people got to a place where the expectation has become no one should ever get sick and we have to shield against all germs. That’s not how our bodies were designed.

If it were no one would fly because doing so would have killed entire planeloads of people in one sitting

[consult]

Hand / environmental sanitation + Air purification (via dilution or active with UV or HEPA) is likely the only real way to cut down on viral spreading. Instead, the CDC relies on modeling studies...our weakest form of evidence (50-50 at best and easily biased) to show that masks work.....all the time knowing that real world studies for decades that were randomized and controlled have show no benefit with influenza these studies were done on those who know how to properly use them (healthcare workers...not the mask touching public).

At least it is comforting to know that we are down to the last eight states — California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington — that require people to wear masks in indoor. Interesting that these are mostly the same ones pushing for vaccine mandates.

[faucetman]

“Airline executive says masks ‘don’t add much’ on flights”

Correction:

Airline executive says masks ‘don’t add ANYTHING (good) on flights