All JetBlue customers will be required to wear a face mask when boarding a flight after the airline modeled its policy on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from May 4.

“All customers are required to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning,” states the website. “JetBlue crewmembers have already been utilizing face coverings at work.”

This new policy will require customers to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning.

“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer. “This is the new flying etiquette.”

Customers will be reminded of this requirement before their flight via email and at the airport by both terminal signage and announcements.

All of the air in the cabin is, on average, completely changed every three minutes. HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.97 percent of particles, bacteria and viruses.

Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from the new requirement but JetBlue hasn’t stated a specific age. The airline highlights that surgical masks and N95 respirators should be reserved for healthcare workers.

Since the coronavirus began spreading in the U.S., JetBlue has increased its aircraft cleanings at night and between flights, using disinfectant to kill the coronavirus.

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