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WestJet passengers who refuse to wear a mask could face a one-year ban

The new strict enforcement policy comes as plans were revealed for a pilot project to test passengers for the coronavirus on some departing flights out of Vancouver.
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A pilot taxis a Westjet Boeing 737-700 plane to a gate after arriving at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Monday February 3, 2014. The WestJet Group is implementing a strict new policy to ensure passengers wear a mask on flights including the possibility of being denied travel for a year if they do not comply. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

WestJet passengers who refuse to wear a mask could be kicked off a flight and slapped with a one-year travel ban after the airline stiffened its safety protocols Friday.

In a press release, the Canadian airline also announced the mandatory sharing of guest contact information during check-in, whether online or in-person. That’s meant to help the Public Health Agency of Canada and provincial health authorities track transmission chains should a passenger later test positive. 

“Travellers must understand if they choose to not wear a mask, they are choosing not to fly our airlines,” said CEO and president of WestJet Group Ed Sims.

The new zero-tolerance policy will go into effect Sept. 1 and will apply to anyone over the age of two. 

When a passenger resists the new policy, staff aboard the aircraft will work through the following three steps: 

  1. Cabin crew will ask the passenger to put the mask on.
  2. Passengers will be given a warning that it’s mandatory to wear a mask aboard the aircraft.
  3. Passengers will be given notice that not wearing a mask will mean they’ll be placed on a no-fly list for 12 months. 

In line with Transport Canada rules, passengers requiring an exemption for health reasons must provide a certified medical note.

Wearing a mask also does not apply while passengers are eating or drinking, thought they are required to replace the mask when finished. 

WestJet passengers in Vancouver may also soon be taking COVID-19 tests before takeoff.

WestJet and Vancouver International Airport announced on Friday plans for a pilot project to test passengers for the coronavirus on some departing flights, the latest move in a broader push by carriers to show they are serious about combatting viral spread as they try to coax Canadians back to the skies.

The announcements come a little over three weeks after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry called out airlines for their poor collection of passenger data, describing the situation as a “disconnect in the system.”

“It’s something we’ve known about for a long time,” said Henry Aug. 4 of the exposures aboard airlines and lack of detailed reporting. “It would shock you to see what we get from the airlines when we request a flight manifest.”

Single-day COVID-19 caseloads in B.C. surged the same day WesJet made the new changes, with 124 new cases being reported across the province. And while many of those have been linked to clusters often involving young people gathering at parities, public exposure warnings on inbound and outbound aircraft continue their steady beat. 

Of the 16 international flights and 38 domestic flights flagged for COVID-19 exposures in B.C. so far this month, 15 were operated by WestJet or its low-cost airline, Swoop.

— With files from the The Canadian Press