American Airlines reminds Sen. Ted Cruz about face mask use amid COVID-19 pandemic

Add Sen. Ted Cruz to the list of airline passengers shamed for not wearing a mask on a flight.

The Texas Republican was spotted without a face covering on a flight Sunday, according to a post on Twitter. In a photo of Cruz, holding a cup of coffee in a first-class seat on a regional jet operated by an American Airlines partner, a mask is not visible.

The photo was posted by Hosseh Enad, a marketing compliance associate at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He said in a subsequent tweet that he'd gotten it from an acquaintance. He also posted photos of an unmasked Cruz sitting in the gate area before the flight.

Cruz spokesperson Lauren Aronson said the senator wears a mask when traveling and practices social distancing where possible.

"Consistent with airline policy, he temporarily removes the mask while eating or drinking,'' she said in a statement. "Yesterday, during his flight he removed his mask to drink and put it back on afterward. We should all practice common sense measures to slow the spread of the virus.”

American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said in a statement early Monday, “We are committed to protecting the health and safety of all those who fly with us, and we are reviewing the details of this matter."

Late Monday, in the wake of calls on Twitter to #banTed and #banTedCruz from flying on American, Feinstein said, "As we do in all instances like these, we reviewed the details of the matter, and while our policy does not apply while eating or drinking, we have reached out to Sen. Cruz to affirm the importance of this policy as part of our commitment to protecting the health and safety of the traveling public.”

In June, American banned a passenger from future flights for refusing to wear a mask. United said it would revoke travel privileges of maskless travelers.

All U.S. airlines require passengers to wear masks during flight except when eating or drinking, but there is no federal mandate that airline crew members can cite when trying to enforce it. Airline executives, unions and consumer advocates urge the U.S. Department of Transportation to mandate mask use on planes and at airports.

Last week, the spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, expressed concern about the "creative ways'' passengers find to keep their masks off.

A pilot speaks: Without a federal mask mandate on planes, it's hard for flight attendants to force compliance

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: American Airlines remind Sen. Ted Cruz about mask use