American flight passenger removed for not wearing mask and temporarily banned from airline

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This will be the physical distance on commercial flights 2:02

(CNN) ––  Tension over the use of face masks led to a passenger being removed from an American Airlines flight on Wednesday, as the airlines implement stricter security actions.

After being the first known case of someone being thrown out of a plane for refusing to wear a mask, passenger Brandon Straka also became the first person to be temporarily banned by an airline.

• READ: The airlines' problems in enforcing their mask policies

Straka was asked to get off a New York flight to Dallas after she refused to use face protection as required by American Airlines policy, the company confirmed in a statement.

In addition, Straka will be able to travel with American Airlines again "once customers no longer need to wear facial protection," the airline said Thursday in a statement sent to CNN.

American Airlines avoided detailing how often people are banned. CNN has reached out to Straka for comment.

This is the first such incident to date that has been known since airlines announced plans to more strictly mandate the use of face masks.

Laws do not mandate the mandatory use of masks inside airplanes, but airlines have set their own face protection requirements for crew and passengers. This week, several of the top American airlines, including American Airlines, pledged to take stricter measures to enforce their policies.

American Airlines confirmed the incident aboard Flight 1263, which ran from LaGuardia in New York to Dallas / Fort Worth, and said Straka refused to use a face mask to cover her face.

"After he refused to comply with the instructions provided by the flight crew, members of our team asked him to get off the plane. He got off and the flight left four minutes late, at 12:34 pm, Miami time, "the airline said in a statement.

• MIRA: Aircraft masks: the measures of some airlines regarding personal protection and social distancing due to the coronavirus

Straka was secured another reservation on a later flight after he agreed to abide by company policies, the company added, and American is contacting him for more information on the incident. Straka said he used a mask provided by the company, but took it off when he was aboard the plane and no one complained.

"This is crazy. Absolutely crazy, ”Straka said during a Periscope post on social media. "We don't even have a choice anymore," he added.

Straka told CNN in a telephone interview that the flight was about to depart when "a stewardess approached me quite aggressively and said, 'Sir, you must wear a mask.' And I said, 'Well, I don't have one.' ”

Straka is a conservative figure who has appeared on Fox News. He describes himself on his website as a former liberal who encourages people to leave the Democratic Party.

When asked about the masks, Straka noted that he is against them for himself, but that he sees it as a personal decision. Along with T-shirts and other items, Straka sells face masks on its website.

The stewardess said he must wear a mask to be on the flight and indicated that it was a law, Straka said.

“I was irritated by the fact that there wasn't even a conversation. I said, 'It's not really a law.' ”

In a video posted on Twitter by a journalist for The New York Times, who was on board the flight, a discussion about the mask policy was recorded.

That video - which does not record the entire discussion and provides the audio but not the images of the people who are speaking - includes an exchange on medical conditions and a female voice is heard asking about medical documentation. Straka also tweeted about the incident.

When asked by CNN if he had a medical condition, Straka declined to comment but said, "I find it difficult and prohibitive to wear a mask, yes."

He also indicated that he had never had a problem before not wearing a mask on flights.

“Sometimes I fly two or three times a week, and even during closing I flew a minimum of once every two weeks. I am quite used to traveling and this has literally never been a problem. Not once, even with this airline, "Straka insisted.

While U.S. aviation officials have not ordered facial protection for travelers, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Wednesday in testimony before Congress that passengers are expected to wear masks when directed by flight attendants.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson noted in his testimony that air travelers should wear face masks “for their own protection and the protection of those around them. Facial coatings are especially important in situations where social distancing is not feasible. "

CNN's Pete Muntean and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.

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