Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Descending into ZZZ; the Controller was very difficult to understand. It sounded like he was wearing a mask while attempting to communicate. Every instruction we were given I had to verify. Some instructions were more or less difficult to decipher than others. Due to the divisiveness associated with the mask issue; I chose not to remark on the radio about not being able to clearly understand all of the instructions. I simply verified each instruction while clearly annunciating.Inability to understand ATC instructions appears to be a Safety threat. I have no way of knowing if the Controller was wearing a mask or not; but all other transmissions from other aircraft and other Controllers were clear. I have heard that controllers may begin to wear them; but that is unverified. In the event that this is the case it presented a clear barrier to communication; which seems to pose a significant Safety threat.
Air carrier Captain reported difficulty understanding ATC instructions possibly due to the Controller wearing a face mask.