Coronavirus: United Airlines will require passengers wear face masks in airports

Travelers flying United Airlines will be required to wear face masks while awaiting flights in hundreds of airports worldwide or face the possibility of being banned from traveling while the mask mandate is in effect.

Airline officials announced the policy Wednesday, which extends previous mask requirements issued by United. Previously, the company had required passengers to wear face masks while on board its planes.

Dr. James Merlino, chief clinical transformation officer at Cleveland Clinic, praised the move, which he said "adds another layer of protection for travelers, even before they board an aircraft."

"Wearing a face mask is an incredibly simple measure that we all can take to help slow the spread of COVID-19," he said. "The more people that wear masks, the less risk there is of others being exposed to the virus."

The policy will apply to travelers in any of the 360 airports where the airline operates globally. Officials said employees will give passengers verbal warnings and offer them free masks if they do not have their own. If United passengers still refuse to comply with the new rule, officials said they would be offered a "reminder card" outlining the airline's policy.

Children under the age of 2 are exempt from the requirement.

Passengers are required to wear face masks while on board United flights except while they are eating or drinking. Previously, the airliner said that customers who refuse to wear masks on flights would be barred from traveling with United "at least while the mask requirement is in place."

“The most important thing any of us can do to slow the spread of the coronavirus is to simply wear a mask when we’re around other people,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said.

As of Wednesday morning, more than 14.9 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide and more than 617,000 people have died of the viral infection, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has been the hardest hit by the virus, with more than 3.9 million cases and over 142,000 deaths.

Cox Media Group