By Brooks Welch
Masks are no longer required for Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.
As reported by CNN, last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended the mask mandate through May 3. The masking requirement applied to airplanes, trains, and other forms of public transportation. However, Biden administration official says the order is no longer in effect.
As the rest of the airlines, Delta Air Lines says it’s making masks optional, and warned travelers they “may experience inconsistent enforcement during the next 24 hours as this news is more broadly communicated.”
“Given the unexpected nature of this announcement, please be aware that customers, airline employees and federal agency employees — such as TSA — may be receiving this information at different times,” the airline said.
United Airlines said in a statement that “masks are no longer required at United on domestic flights, select international flights (dependent upon the arrival country’s mask requirements) or at U.S. airports.”
Alaska Airlines similarly said face masks are now optional and asked for passengers to be considerate.
Many travelers will be happy to ditch the face coverings, but experts say the mask ruling robs governments of the ability to protect public health, reports NPR. Masks may still be required due to local ordinances.
