BREATHLESS

‘Claustrophobic’ JetBlue Pilots Launch Lawsuit Against DOT Mask Mandate

Pilots from JetBlue and other airlines claim the forced wearing of masks leaves them claustrophobic, anxious, and short of breath—and it’s not safe.

A group of pilots from JetBlue and other airlines are suing the CDC to demand the lifting of the federal mask mandate because they say it is illegal and stops them flying safely. In a lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court for D.C., the pilots also say there have been thousands of “unruly passenger” incidents since the mandate was enforced by President Joe Biden in January, putting flights at risk. “We have serious concerns about the safety implications of the mask mandate, none of which were studied by CDC or HHS as the policy was rushed into place only 12 days after the inauguration of a new president who made a national mask mandate a top campaign promise—even though he acknowledged it was likely unconstitutional,” the lawsuit, reported by the Paddle Your Own Kanoo website, says.

The 10 pilots, seven from JetBlue and the others from Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and PSA Airlines, say forced mask-wearing has left them suffering a condition they call “mask fatigue,” symptoms of which include acne, laryngitis, breathlessness, anxiety, and claustrophobia. “I perform risk/benefit analysis daily as part of my job, and I know the risks of wearing a mask outweigh any benefits. We want to make sure the forced wearing of masks goes away, never to return,” said Cristina Field, a PSA Airlines pilot who is one of the plaintiffs.