Airlines, Amtrak Drop Mask Requirements after Federal Judge Blocks Mandate

Zachary Evans
·3 min read

The largest American airline companies and Amtrak said they are dropping requirements to wear masks after a federal judge overturned the Biden administration’s mask mandate for air travel and public transportation.

American, Delta, Southwest, United, and Alaska Airlines all said on Monday night that passengers could fly without masks, with some pilots announcing the policy change mid-flight. U.S. district judge Kathryn Mizelle ruled Monday that the mandate violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and hours later a Biden administration official told media outlets that the mandate “is not in effect at this time.”

“Masks are no longer required on domestic flights, select international flights (dependent upon the arrival country’s requirements) or at U.S. airports. More comfortable keeping yours on? Go right ahead,” United said in a statement on Twitter.

Delta notified customers that masks are now optional but emphasized that “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.”

“Customers and team members may choose to continue to wear masks at their discretion,” however, “face masks will no longer be required” for domestic flights, American said in a statement.

Southwest said it encouraged customers to wear or not wear a mask based on what was best for their “personal wellbeing.” Alaska Airlines also informed customers that they were no longer required to wear masks.

Meanwhile, Amtrak also said passengers traveling in its trains may choose to put on a mask if they wish but are not required to do so.

“While Amtrak passengers and employees are no longer required to wear masks while on board trains or in stations, masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19,” Amtrak said in a statement to NBC News. “Anyone needing or choosing to wear one is encouraged to do so.”

Various airlines began requiring masks for passengers in 2020 after the onset of the Covid pandemic. Shortly after President Biden took office in January 2021, his administration implemented the federal mask mandate for public transportation and air travel.

Ten CEOs of American passenger and cargo airlines called on President Biden to lift the mask mandate in an open letter in March 2022.

“It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do,” the letter reads.

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