FAA Says It Won’t Make Wearing a Mask on Aircraft Mandatory

Stephen M. Dickson, FAA administrator, appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, in Washington, on May 15, 2019. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that while the agency is encouraging compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, it won’t mandate the wearing of facial coverings on flights, leaving that decision to individual airlines.

Administrator Stephen Dickson told a Senate committee on June 17 said his agency defers to the CDC on health-related matters.