Airline CEOs to Biden: Enough of the Mask Madness

A group of  major airlines penned a letter to President Biden aimed at getting the president to do away with the mask mandate for air travel,  arguing the rule “no longer makes” sense amid declining COVID-19 cases and the lifting of similar mandates across the country.

From Axios:

What they’re saying: “We are encouraged by the current data and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from coast to coast, which indicate it is past time to eliminate COVID-era transportation policies,” the letter read.

• “Much has changed since these measures were imposed and they no longer make sense in the current public health context.”

• “Now is the time for the Administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions — including the international pre-departure testing requirement and the federal mask mandate.”

The letter, which was sent by advocacy group Airlines for America, also requested that the administration do away with  pre-departure COVID-19 testing rules for international travelers.

The heads of Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, UPS Airlines, Alaska Air Group, Fedex Express, Atlas Air Worldwide, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines Holdings all signed the letter, which came after the TSA announced earlier this month that it was extending the transportation mask mandate until April 18.

But the letter argues that the “science clearly supports lifting the mask mandate,” noting that people are now allowed to congregate at restaurants, sporting events, and schools without masks. The group also cited studies that determined aircraft cabin’s are actually more well ventilated than most of these spaces, yet the administration has insisted on keeping the mandate for travel in place.

“It is critical to recognize that the burden of enforcing both the mask and predeparture testing
requirements has fallen on our employees for two years now,” the letter reads. “This is not a function they are
trained to perform and subjects them to daily challenges by frustrated customers. This in turn
takes a toll on their own well-being.

COVID-19 cases have continued to decline around the country in recent weeks, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance that no longer requires indoor masking for over 90% of the country.

Airlines worry that continued mandates singling out the travel industry will further hinder their ability to recover, arguing in the letter that such mandates are now “outdated.”

“We are requesting this action not only for the benefit the of the traveling public, but also for the
thousands of airline employees charged with enforcing a patchwork of now-outdated regulations
implemented in response to COVID-19,” the letter concluded.