Several executives at US carriers have called on President Joe Biden to remove the federal mask mandate onboard aircraft. CEOs at carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines said that the mask requirement is no longer necessary in the current environment.
CEOs want mask mandate lifted
In a letter drafted by Airlines for America (ATA), leading executives at major US carriers believe the federal mask mandate should no longer remain in place, saying that it is “no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment.”
The letter, addressed to President Biden, stated, “Now is the time for the Administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions… Much has changed since these measures were imposed and they no longer make sense in the current public health context.”
The CEOs of Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and UPS Airlines signed the letter, on which the White House has declined to comment.
Airline execs pointed to the use of air filtration systems and vertical airflow in aircraft cabins, stating that “[several studies] have concluded that an airplane cabin is one of the safest indoor environments due to the combination of highly filtered air and constant airflow, coupled with the downward direction of the air.”
The letter added, “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.”
Pre-departure testing should also go
The letter to President Biden also called for the removal of pre-departure testing requirements. Restrictive and expensive pre-departure testing requirements have put many people off travel, hitting airlines hard.
According to ATA, “The pre-departure test requirement, imposed to slow the introduction of variants into the US, has outlived its utility and stymies the return of international travel. The United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and Canada have recognized this reality and lifted travel restrictions.”
The US Travel Association has already called for a similar lifting of pre-departure testing and mask requirements. All 50 US states have announced the end of indoor mask mandates, with the final state, Hawaii, set to lift its requirement on March 26th.
Mask mandate extended to April 18th
As Simple Flying reported this month, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) extended the federal mask mandate for the third time. Initially set to expire on March 18th, this latest extension upholds the mandate until April 18th.
Notably, this extension is the shortest yet at just one additional month, suggesting that the TSA is considering scrapping it. COVID cases in the US are on the decline, although health officials are bracing for another rise in cases in the coming weeks due to the BA.2 variant.
Cre: Simple Flying
Nguyen Mai Huong-COMM
