Buttigieg urges travelers to respect mask mandates on planes

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is urging travelers to respect flight attendants and other crew members who enforce federal mask mandates amid an increase in unruly passenger behavior

WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday urged travelers to respect flight attendants and other crew members who enforce federal mask mandates on planes, pledging strict federal enforcement against such abuse at a time of increasingly unruly behavio r by passengers. “The flight crews and other workers you encounter, they’re doing their job,” he said. “They’re following regulations and they’re there to keep you safe. It is absolutely unacceptable to ever mistreat a transportation worker. “And of course, there’s very serious fines and enforcement around that,” Buttigieg added. Buttigieg said the federal mask mandate, which remains in effect on planes, buses and trains until Sept. 13, continues to be driven by public health considerations. He stressed that travelers should abide by it as both a matter of safety and respect to transportation workers.