Just hours after a federal court judge voided the federal face mask mandate for air travel and other public transportation, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines on Monday afternoon said masks would be optional on their flights.
Other airlines are expected to follow suit.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that because of the judicial decision, passengers and employees effective immediately would have the option to wear a mask while traveling in the U.S.
“While we are glad this means many of us get to see your smiling faces, we understand some might have mixed feelings,” the statement said. “Please remember to be kind to one another and that wearing a mask while traveling is still an option.”
The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, found that federal health officials had exceeded their authority in their response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Because our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends, the court declares unlawful and vacates the mask mandate,” the judge wrote.
The mandate, recently extended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to May 3, covered transportation aboard airplanes, trains, city subways and ride-sharing vehicles.
The White House on Monday said the mask order “is not in effect at this time.”
The CDC implemented the mandate in early 2021 in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Alaska Airlines has required masks on flights since May 2020.
The CDC last week extended the mandate to provide more time to study the latest subvariant of the virus and monitor an uptick in cases.
Across the country, airlines have banned thousands of often unruly passengers who refused to comply with the mask mandate. In the statement Monday, Alaska Airlines said “guests whose behavior was particularly egregious” will remain banned even after the policy has changed.
The airline’s statement also noted: “While the Transportation Security Administration is no longer enforcing its mask mandate, it may take time for individual airports to roll back their mask requirements. Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend guests defer to local port guidance when traveling, including wearing a mask if directed to do so.”
United Airlines said Monday the rule would no longer be enforced among employees or passengers on domestic and international flights to countries that don’t have their own masking rules for planes.
American Airlines advised travelers, “Please note face masks may still be required based on local ordinances, or when traveling to/from certain international locations based on country requirements.”
Airlines have been lobbying the government to drop the mandate.
The Association of Flight Attendants, the nation’s largest union of cabin crews, has recently taken a neutral position on the mask rule because its members are divided about the issue. On Monday, the union’s president appealed for calm on planes and in airports.
“The last thing we need for workers on the frontlines or passengers traveling today is confusion and chaos,” union leader Sara Nelson said.
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