TSA no longer enforcing US mask mandate
 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/18/florida-judge-overturns-cdc-mask-mandate-for-public-transit-planes.html“The Transportation Security Administration will not enforce the Covid-19 mask mandate on planes and other public transportation, after a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down the requirement, ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had overstepped its authority.

The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks on public transit, a Biden administration official said.”

[mod added summary of story to comply with FT rules]

AA just followed suit
no more masks
In accordance with the Transportation Security Administration no longer enforcing the federal face mask mandate, face masks will no longer be required for our customers and team members at U.S. airports and on domestic flights.
https://news.aa.com/news/news-detail...4/default.aspx

Can't we all just get along? My mask does not cover your face or make your COPD flare up. Besides mine saves me a fortune in botox and fillers ;)

I always fly AA but Southwest today… I’m so happy I think I could even handle a middle seat.
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It’s no secret that airline PILOTS despise masks as a major majority but the FAs on this flight were happy to rip theirs off too.

Congrats on being one of the first to fly mask-free! Did they have any incidents where people were trying to set them on fire? :)

DL has made it officlal as well.

The testing requirement must go ASAP.

If administration does not appeal this, wonder how many days until another judge rules against the test mandate. I'll put the over/under at 2 1/2. :)

No it took us all by surprise. Yes I saw the news this morning but the airlines implemented quickly. Actually they haven’t updated their safety briefing so the FA was fumbling through it and revising. I was expecting the other side to revolt and be angry they were suddenly on what they deem an unsafe flight but I didn’t catch anything major. Maybe on my next flight in 15 minutes. I have a crazy tight connection.

Thanks for the report from the front lines and safe travels!

I wish this was handled more gracefully. For example the judge could have stayed the order for 5 days to give airlines time to implement new policies, maybe hand out higher quality masks to passengers who want them until they have time to buy their own, etc.

Meanwhile I just placed an Amazon order for a box of N95 masks by 3M and intend to wear them when traveling. These masks form a seal against the face, so if the person next to me is sick I have less to worry about.

Hopefully we don't see crew availability issues and associated mass cancellations like they had in the UK a couple weeks ago.

Edit: Airlines should not hesitate to put these requirements back in place if we're in another wave, primarily to avoid staff sickness and associated flight cancellations. Perhaps it will become like driving in the Sierras in the winter - "tire chains may become required on any road at any time".

I truly sympathize with those who are worried but take comfort in that one-way masking will protect them so long as they choose effective masks rather than the commonly worn cloth ones. As far as airlines mandating, absent the air cover of a government mandate, it will be market suicide which is why we saw the majors very quickly announce they were eliminating any mandates based on corporate policy this afternoon.

You think the crew is wearing masks outside of the aircraft?

Right. As a private enterprise, they can reinstitute the mandate at their discretion. I, as a consumer, could either accept it or fly someone else. And, should there be a huge market demand for mask only flights, then have some.

It should have been this way from the very beginning.

I'm a little confused about some of the reporting - I've read individual airlines saying you don't have to wear a mask on the plane or in the airport. Do the airlines have control over their area of the airport? I thought that was all TSA/Fed, etc.