After a federal court invalidated the rule set by President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday, many U.S. airlines announced intentions to eliminate mask restrictions.
The regulation was introduced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February 2021, but U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle for the Middle District of Florida said it was “unlawful.”
According to the administration’s directive, passengers must wear masks on aircraft, trains, buses, and other modes of public transportation. The mandate was set to expire on Monday, but the CDC put it back two weeks to May 3 owing to concerns about a fresh surge of COVID-19 infections caused by the BA.2 subvariant.
Following the judge’s order to make masks optional, numerous airlines made statements clarifying their stance. Here are the ones that don’t require masks any longer.
The five major US carriers — American Airlines Group Inc., Alaska Air Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., and United Airlines Holdings Inc. — announced that their requirements would be lifted immediately. Masks will be optional for both passengers and crew, according to the announcement.
JetBlue
“In line with Monday’s federal court ruling and the Transportation Security Administration’s guidance, mask-wearing will now be optional on JetBlue,” the airline said Monday. “While no longer required, customers and crew members are welcome to continue wearing masks in our terminals and onboard our aircraft.”
Delta Air Lines
“Effective immediately, masks are optional for all airport employees, crew members and customers inside U.S. airports and onboard all aircraft domestically, as well as on most international flights,” the airline said in its statement updated Tuesday
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