JetBlue has defended the flight attendant’s decision to remove a mother and her six children from a flight after her 2-year-old daughter would not follow the airline’s coronavirus protocol and put on her mask.
Chaya Bruck spoke of her shock when she was told about the deployment of the airline that all children aged two and older had to wear masks on board when her family tried to take their seats on a flight from Orlando on Wednesday. to New York.
“(My daughter) started crying and anyway, she said she should wear it and cover her nose on her mouth,” Bruck said. “I said, ‘What should I do? Should I tie her hands or feet?’ Like: How should I force her to wear a mask? ”WFTV reported.
A video shared widely on social media shows Bruck telling the pilot “do you realize they are two?” to whom she received the reply, “I do, and also, it is not something we can excuse.”
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Other passengers went in to try to convince the pilot that a toddler could not be expected to stop wearing a mask without fighting and voices were raised in frustration. Due to the clutter in the cabin, all the passengers were told to take their luggage and get off the plane.
Bruck and her children, plus another family member who came to their defense, were not allowed to return on board the flight, which was delayed by nearly an hour.
In a statement, JetBlue said it adhered to its policy of informing all customers via email, saying that all travelers aged two and over “should wear a face mask over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in. boarding while in flight and deplaning. “
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“Our crew members are ready to assist customers at the airport and on board who need support,” the statement said.
“We have a flexible rebooking policy for those who are unable to meet this requirement, and customers who refuse to comply with these standards at the request of crew members will be checked for further travel accessibility on JetBlue.”
The airline said the family, and other passengers removed from the flight “were issued a full fee and escorted out of the gate.”
Bruck told CBS that the incident was “extremely overwhelming and traumatic.”
JetBlue’s new coronavirus policy also bans face masks with vents or exhalation valves.
The airline also announced earlier this month that increasing distances by blocking middle seats on larger aircraft and aisle seats on smaller aircraft, among those not traveling together, would be in place until at least October.
