The federal mask mandate is no more.
Airlines and other public transportation hubs are no longer required to enforce the use of face masks after a federal judge in Florida ruled the mandate unlawful on April 18; subsequently, several carriers — including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines — immediately loosened restrictions.
The surprising news came after last week’s announcement that the mask mandate would be extended until May 3.
The U.S. Travel Association applauded the news.
“The current decision to halt enforcement of the federal mask mandate effectively returns the choice of mask usage on planes and other forms of public transportation to travelers and travel industry workers, a further step toward endemic management of COVID-19,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy. “We also continue to urge the administration to immediately end pre-departure testing for vaccinated inbound international passengers, which discourages travel and provides limited public health benefits.”
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) said it had extended the order by 15 days in order to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant, which is currently causing a spike in case numbers throughout the U.S.
“In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC Order will remain in place at this time,” the agency said last week in a statement.
The mandate, which originally went into effect in January 2021, was set to expire March 18 and was then extended to April 18 due to a recommendation by the CDC. At the time, the Transportation Security Administration said that the revised framework for mask usage would be based on COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data and the latest science.
Was the Mask Mandate Impacting Travel Recovery?
Many travel industry associations, including the U.S. Travel Association, had written letters to the White House to advocate for the end of restrictive COVID-19-era travel protocols, including the end of the mask mandate.
"Airplanes are already equipped with advanced air filtration systems, and airports have made large investments in air filtration, sanitation and layouts,” reads the letter. “COVID-19 hospitalization rates have decreased significantly, and the mask mandate should be lifted to reflect the improved public health environment.”
However, according to many travel advisors, the mask mandate had not stopped most Americans from traveling.
The current decision to halt enforcement of the federal mask mandate effectively returns the choice of mask usage on planes and other forms of public transportation to travelers and travel industry workers, a further step toward endemic management of COVID-19.
"We have not had clients say that it’s a deal breaker for them,” said Joshua Bush, CEO of Avenue Two Travel in Philadelphia. “Small requirements, such as masks, are much more manageable versus the complexity of testing and continuously changing policies for each destination that still plagues us.”
The American Society of Travel Advisors, as well as a coalition of 16 legislators, pointed to the inbound pre-departure testing requirement as the No. 1 barrier to the recovery of international travel.
Editor's Note: This story was originally published April 13, 2022. It has been updated to reflect the April 18 announcement that the mask mandate will no longer be enforced.
