Exclusive: U.S. airlines tell crews not to force passengers to wear masks

FILE PHOTO: Passengers walk through Terminal 1, after further cases of coronavirus were confirmed in New York, at JFK International Airport in New York, U.S., March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

(Reuters) - The top three U.S. airlines have told their flight attendants not to force passengers to comply with their new policy requiring face coverings, just encourage them to do so, according to employee policies reviewed by Reuters.

American Airlines Group Inc , Delta Air Lines Inc and United Airlines Holdings Inc have told employees that they may deny boarding at the gate to anyone not wearing a face covering, and are providing masks to passengers who do not have them, the three carriers told Reuters.