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Federal officials are extending until January the requirement that people on airline flights and public transport wear face masks, a rule intended to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The current Transportation Security Administration order was scheduled to expire on September 13. A spokesperson for the agency said on Tuesday that the mandate would be extended until January 18.
The TSA briefed airline industry representatives on its plan on Tuesday and planned to discuss it with air travel unions on Wednesday. The mask rule also applies to employees on planes and public transport.
The mask’s mandate has been controversial and has led to numerous encounters between passengers who do not want to wear masks and flight attendants urged to enforce the rule. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that airlines had reported 3,889 incidents involving unruly passengers this year, and 2,867 – or 74% – involving refusal to wear a mask.
Individual airlines declined to comment on the Biden administration’s decision, and their business group, Airlines for America, only said that U.S. carriers would strictly enforce the rule. A larger group, the US Travel Association, said the extension “has the full support of the travel industry.” The largest flight attendant union said the move would help keep passengers and aviation workers safe.
“We have a responsibility in aviation to ensure the safety of everyone and to do our part to end the pandemic, rather than help its continuation,” said Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants. “We are all looking forward to the day masks. are no longer needed, but we are not there yet. “
The order for masks, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for responding to the pandemic, was first released on January 29, days after President Joe Biden took office. Prior to that, airlines had their own face covering requirements, but former President Donald Trump’s administration refused to make it a federal rule.
The extension was not surprising after a recent increase in Covid-19 cases linked to the delta variant of the virus. The seven-day average of newly reported cases exceeded 140,000, an increase of 64% from two weeks ago and the highest level in over six months.
Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, said the administration’s decision would reassure those concerned about the virus.
“I predict this will make them more confident to travel during the fall and winter, including the holiday season,” Harteveldt said. “Those who don’t take the virus seriously will likely complain – but they have no choice but to vacuum it up and wear their masks if they want to catch an air flight somewhere. “
In recent days, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have reported that rising coronavirus infections have caused bookings to drop beyond the usual slowdown that occurs towards the end of each summer.
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