Are You Required to Wear Headphones on an Airplane? Various Airlines, Plus a Flight Attendant Association, Share Their Answers

Mar. 15, 2025

A man using headphones on an airplane (stock image).Photo:Getty

Getty

Imagine this: you’re finally boarding your flight after a hectic few hours oftraveling to the airportandgetting through security, when you’re ready to wind down on the plane.

However, you hear varying sounds coming at you from all different angles. From one end, you hear the latest hit pop song, and from another, you glean dialogue from a captivating murder-mystery series.

Well, according to various airlines, as well as theAssociation of Flight Attendants (AFA), headphones are recommended amid flights, and there are options to obtain some onboard, if forgotten or inaccessible.

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Wireless headphones (stock image).Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty

Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty

In a statement provided to PEOPLE, the AFA said, “Most airlines encourage passengers to wear your headphones when listening to sound on your device.”

“Flight attendants may ask you to turn off your volume or offer you headphones for the inflight entertainment device,” they continued.

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The organization also noted that “several airlines over the last 5 years have included this topic in flight attendant announcements at the beginning of the flight.”

“Flying is a communal experience, and we ask everyone who comes onboard to be considerate and kind to those around you,” the AFA added.

A male passenger on an airplane (stock image).Getty

According toDelta, one of the largest airlines in the United States, they ask that travelers “please use earbuds or headphones with any personal electronic device during your flight.”

Southwest Airlinesechoes similar sentiments, telling PEOPLE in a statement, “We encourage our customers to use headphones for all audio and videos to be respectful of others inflight.”

United, another large U.S. airline, meanwhile, asks the same of their travelers to be considerate of others and keep sounds to themselves.

The company also has the option to pair Bluetooth headphone devices to the onboard entertainment options provided in flight.

source: people.com