After a federal judge in Florida ruled against the Biden administration’s mandatory mask demand for travelers on aircraft and other public modes of transportation, U.S. airlines are suspending mask mandates.
Following Monday’s decision, a slew of airlines, from Delta and United to Southwest and American, announced that masks are now optional for passengers on their planes.
As a result of the significant shift, many airline staff will no longer be required to wear masks, and will not be required to enforce the regulation on passengers. However, airlines advise travelers to pack a mask on their journey in order to comply with local regulations, especially for foreign flights.
Here’s an overview of airline positions:
Customers can now choose whether or not to wear masks, according to Alaska Airlines, but they should remain patient as the policy changes.
If the United States is confronted with another COVID-19 outbreak, Alaska has stated that it will be prepared to respond.
The required mask requirement for travelers and personnel at U.S. airports and on domestic flights has been revoked, according to an American Airlines statement.
Masks are optional onboard, according to Delta Air Lines, although the airline warned that enforcement may be inconsistent in the first 24 hours as the news spreads widely.
Frontier Airlines stated, “To mask or not to mask, the choice is yours.”
Passengers should still check the policies at their destination, since some airports or countries where Frontier flies may still require masks, according to the company.
Passengers and crew members on board planes can now choose whether or not to wear face masks, according to Hawaiian Airlines.
These and more airlines follow this procedure almost instantaneously after receiving the ruling.
