New 'airport dress code' has been suggested - here's how it could affect you when travelling

The US Department of Transportation has just launched a brand new campaign - and it includes a strict 'airport dress code' that could affect you.

Now, what to wear to the airport has been a longstanding debate for years, with some travellers dressing up in normal clothes like they would any other day and others opting for a more comfy choice, such as a tracksuit or pyjamas.

Some people have even reported being stopped by airline staff for wearing specific clothing items like crop tops, so it's understandably a tricky thing to navigate.

However, US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy kicked off a new civility campaign last week, titled: "The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You."

It comes just ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush, with over the 360,000 nationwide flights estimated to take place as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts this year to have the busiest travel season for the holiday in 15 years.

The US Department of Transportation has introduced a new campaign and people are divided (Getty Stock Image)

On top of all this, it's also only been one week since travel returned to normal following the longest US government shutdown in history that saw flight delays throughout the country.

The new campaign's description reads: "The campaign is intended to jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel.

"This won’t just make the travel experience better for the flying public – it will ensure the safety of passengers, gate workers, flight attendants, and pilots."

The press release then came armed with a slew of facts to prove that 'travel has become more unruly'.

According to the government department, since 2019, the FAA has seen a 400 percent increase of in-flight outbursts, which reportedly range from disruptive behaviour to outright violence, as well as 13,800 'unruly passenger' incidents since 2021.

They said that unruly passenger reports were multiplied by six between 2020 and 2021, one in five flight attendants experienced physical incidents in 2021 and 2024 saw double the number of unruly passenger events compared with 2019.

US Transportation Secretary's key questions

In an effort to combat this, Duffy has posed key questions' every flyer should ask themselves this holiday season to help Americans reach their destinations as quickly, efficiently and comfortably as possible'.

These are:

1. Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with placing their bags in the overhead bin?
2. Are you dressing with respect?
3. Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport?
4. Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?
5. Are you saying please and thank you in general?

The debate of what's appropriate to wear at the airport has been ongoing for years now (Getty Stock Image)

Now, number two, the 'dressing with respect' rule has caught people's attention and during a press conference at Newark Liberty Airport yesterday (24 November) Duffy elaborated on what it actually means.

He explained: "I call this maybe 'dressing with some respect'. Whether it's a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourage encourages us to maybe behave a little better.

"Let's try not to wear slippers and pyjamas as we come to the airport. I think that's positive."

He also warned travellers of some plane etiquette rules, such as not to take their shoes off or put their feet in the chair ahead of them.

The new campaign has sparked a debate on social media, with people questioning whether it's 'harmless advice, or the government telling Americans how to dress and behave?'

One Twitter user penned: "Stop making me get undressed at the TSA Checkpoint and I might consider it. Until then it's sweats and slippers."

While a second argued: "The government isn't forcing a dress code on anyone. Suggesting travellers dress appropriately is a good suggestion. We need more of this."

And a third wrote: "I just don’t understand how this is his priority out of everything else going on."