
The federal mask mandate for public transit includes trains and buses as well as airplanes.
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The Transportation Security Administration has once again extended the federal airplane mask mandate, this time until April 18. President Joe Biden instituted the mask mandate for public transportation via executive order on his first day in office.
The airline industry doesn’t agree. On Thursday, Airlines for America, an industry association that includes the top seven US airlines, sent an open letter to Biden asking him to end masking and international predeparture testing requirements. The organization said that the rules “no longer make sense in the current public health context” and that “science clearly supports lifting the mask mandate.”
The federal mandate requires travelers to wear masks on buses, subways, trains, ferries and other forms of public transit. Supporters of the mask requirement have expressed continued concern for the safety of immunocompromised passengers, people with underlying health conditions and those who aren’t eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, such as children age 5 and younger.
We’ll explain what’s happening with the April 18 deadline for ending the airplane mask mandate. For more information, here’s the latest on states letting mask requirements expire. We’ll update this story as new information develops.
Could the mask mandate be extended yet again?
The mandate has been extended three times now and could be yet again, depending on any new variants that could develop — like the BA.2 “stealth omicron” variant.
The mask requirements will remain in place and will continue to be evaluated “based on the state of the virus,” White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a press briefing.
Rochelle Walensky, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had previously said the agency would revisit the masking mandate. On March 10, the CDC recommended keeping it in place for another month.

You may not need a mask if you’re booking a flight past mid-April.
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Do flight attendants want to keep the mandate?
Flight attendants as a group haven’t taken a stance on whether or not to keep the mask mandate in place, the Association of Flight Attendants said. They are, however, in charge of enforcing the mandate, which also means dealing with passengers refusing to comply.
As of March 21, the Federal Aviation Administration reported 635 out of 961 cases of unruly passengers in 2022 have been related to face masks. Given those numbers, an expired mandate could significantly decrease the number of in-flight violent altercations.
The government is considering a unified no-fly list for flyers refusing to comply with the mask requirements, Bloomberg reported, but no official decision has been made.
Can individual airlines continue requiring masks onboard after the mandate ends?
Many airline CEOs signed the letter to the president urging him to lift the mask requirement, so it’s unlikely the airlines would individually require masks for flyers once the mandate ends. Generally, airlines follow protocols put in place by the TSA, so if the mandate isn’t extended, the airlines are likely to return to the “no mask necessary” policy.
“We remain in communication with the Administration as they reassess the existing mask requirements and work to identify a path forward from COVID-era policies,” an AFA representative told CNET. “We are encouraged by the lifting of mask requirements in all 50 states and other COVID-related restrictions across the country.”
A Southwest Airlines representative told CNET the company doesn’t have anything to offer on this topic at this time. “Like the rest of our industry, Southwest is subject to federal mask mandates as implemented via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s original order.”

You’ll likely still need to wear a mask when traveling to other countries with mandates.
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Does this apply to international travel from the US?
At this time, it’s unclear whether the mandate ending next month will apply to those traveling from the US to another country with mask requirements. It’s possible other countries that still have mask mandates could require flyers to mask up before exiting the plane and entering the airport.
How you can stay protected if the mandate is lifted
If you’re concerned about COVID-19 while traveling, there are a few measures you can take to help keep yourself protected.
- Wear a face mask while in flight.
- Choose a window seat, if possible — this exposes you to fewer people than an aisle seat.
- Stay up to date on your vaccines.
- Wipe down your seat and tray with a disinfectant cloth.
- Wash or sanitize your hands before eating.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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