A passenger who American Airlines says refused to wear a face mask on a flight Tuesday from New York to Dallas is banned from flying while the face mask requirement is in place, a spokesperson confirmed in a statement.
Conservative activist Brandon Straka was banned following the airlines' recent announcement on stricter enforcement of face masks.
American Airlines, Delta, Southwest and other major airlines announced Monday they would not let passengers on board without masks.
Straka "declined to wear a face-covering" after boarding his flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Wednesday, the American Airlines said in a statement.
"American Airlines thoroughly reviewed an incident on June 17 involving one of our customers, Brandon Straka," the statement read. "As a result of this review, Mr. Straka will not be permitted to fly American, as he failed to comply with our stated policy and crewmember instructions."
"We expect customers who choose to fly with us to comply with these policies, and if necessary, we will deny future travel for customers who refuse to do so," the statement continued. "Restricting travel is a step we take very seriously, and it will only occur after a comprehensive review of the facts of an incident. Mr. Straka will be permitted to fly with us once face coverings are no longer required for customers."
"After he refused to comply with the instructions provided by the flight crew, our team members asked him to deplane," the statement continued.
Exceptions to the mask rule exist for kids, passengers eating and drinking and for those with certain medical conditions.
Straka founded the #WalkAway Campaign, which encourages people to leave the "Democratic Party of today," according to its site, which also sells face masks for $20, ABC News reported.
