Virgin crew captain under fire for anti-mask announcement

Manchester, United kingdom - August 30, 2015: Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 747-443 cn 30885-1268 G-VROS moment after take off from Manchester Airport.

A Virgin Australia crew captain allegedly called upon passengers to protest mask mandates to the government on a Brisbane to Sydney flight last week.

The incident was reported last Friday in a viral tweet by Brisbane-based university lecturer Eddie Synot that labelled the announcement “extremely inappropriate”, which has since garnered nearly 5000 likes:

Source: Instagram/@EddieSynot

In a follow-up tweet Synot added: “Crew captain – not flight captain – reminded people of mask mandate then went on to complain about it, make jokes about it & COVID & the annoyance & then ask people to complain to feds & get it sorted. It’s not a joke.”

Virgin Australia responded to the tweet citing: “The health and safety of everyone onboard is always our number one priority, and for this reason, we strongly encourage all guests to comply with health orders and wear face masks.”

The airline added “We also require our cabin crew wear face masks while working on board an aircraft.”

Source: Instagram/@VirginAustralia

Synot explained said to Traveller: “We’ve recently recovered from COVID and our toddler also caught it. He’s unvaccinated, unable to be vaccinated, and my wife is pregnant.

“I think the ongoing impact and threat of COVID is very serious and messaging from airlines in particular in these situations should be consistent with the guidelines.”

As reported in Traveller, onboard mask mandates have already been abolished by major airlines in the United States and United Kingdom ahead of the busy summer travel period. In Australia, passengers are still required to wear masks on inbound international flights and domestic flights. However, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) has stated it will issue further advice on in-flight mask mandates.

Overall, the incident has sparked further debate over the responsibilities of cabin crew when it comes to enforcing mask mandates as COVID concerns linger.

User Michael Alcott @SydCompHealth responded to Synot’s tweet stating: “Marries with my experience in May. Many passengers not wearing masks (more than would be medically exempt) and staff didn’t even wear them properly. Written complaint received a form-letter response. Those who refuse to comply with the law should be denied boarding.”

While some users such as Eliza @epar4283 offered sympathy to the crew: “Devils advocate here but theyve probably copped shit for 2.5 years and have found that deflecting it is easier than dealing with abuse. Saying ‘oh gosh I know, maybe send an angry letter to the feds’ is easier than launching into a COVID lesson for every unhappy passenger.”

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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