John Kerry, who is currently serving as the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate under President Joe Biden, is facing criticism after a viral photo showed him going mask-less while reading a book on an American Airlines flight from Boston to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Star published the photo of the former U.S. Secretary of State with his face-covering off and dangling from one of his ears, which instantly polarized Twitter and other social media platforms.

In a statement to the New York Post , American Airlines said the crew was never aware of the apparent mask violation but that the carrier was in the process of reaching out to Kerry to remind him of the requirements.

"The crew did not observe Secretary Kerry without a mask, and they were not alerted by other customers to a non-compliance issue. We continue to review the matter and we are reaching out to Secretary Kerry to underscore that all customers are expected to wear masks for the duration of their trip," a spokesperson said.

Kerry responded to the viral photo on Twitter, claiming that if he removed his mask it was only for a moment.

Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the extension of stricter legal action against airline passengers who violate the federal mask mandate. Travelers who refuse to comply face potential lifetime bans from their airline and stiff fines and other penalties.