Passengers who flout rules for wearing face masks on United Airlines flights face being banned by the carrier.
The mandatory mask policy is expected to remain in place for at least the next 60 days to further mitigate against the spread of Covid-19 and help continue to keep passengers and crew safe.
The US carrier said: “While the overwhelming majority of passengers are complying with United’s mandatory policy, starting on June 18, any passenger that does not comply when onboard a United flight will be placed on an internal travel restriction list.
“Customers on this list will lose their travel privileges on United for a duration of time to be determined pending a comprehensive incident review.”
The only exceptions to this policy are individuals who have a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering, those who cannot put on or remove a face covering themselves and small children.
Passengers are expected to wear a mask for the duration of the flight, except when eating or drinking.
Chief customer officer Toby Enqvist said: “Every reputable heath institution says wearing a mask is one of the most effective things people can do to protect others from contracting Covid-19, especially in places like an aircraft where social distancing is a challenge.
“We have been requiring our customers to wear masks onboard United aircraft since May 4 and we have been pleased that the overwhelming majority of passengers readily comply with our policy.
“Today’s announcement is an unmistakable signal that we’re prepared to take serious steps, if necessary, to protect our customers and crew.”
Nicholas Calio, president and chief executive of US trade body A4A (Airlines for America) added: “US airlines are very serious about requiring face coverings on their flights.
“Carriers are stepping up enforcement of face coverings and implementing substantial consequences for those who do not comply with the rules.
“Face coverings are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC as an important layer of protection for passengers and customer-facing employees.”
United became the first major US-based airline to require flight attendants to wear a face mask while on duty in April.
The mandate was expanded in May to include all employees and passengers on board, including front-line workers like pilots, customer service agents and ramp workers, along with United employees traveling using their flight benefits.