Airline Officials, Politicians Want Mask Mandate Extended

Airline officials and politicians are joining flight attendants in calling for an extension of the Transportation Security Administration mandate to wear face masks in U.S. airports and on all flights.

The mandate was enacted to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. It is set to expire on May 11,

Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, represents more than 50,000 crew members worldwide. She weighed in on the matter last week, writing a letter to the TSA and saying “Flight attendants and passengers need the leadership and support of the TSA to maintain and improve compliance with the CDC mask order.”

The mask requirement was a central issue at a Senate hearing on safety in air travel earlier this week, according to the Washington Post.

“I encourage the administration to be proactive regarding masks on aircraft and I support federal efforts to ensure that passengers wear masks on planes and that crews have tools to enforce those protections,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said. “I am concerned that those protections may prematurely end next month. So I’m calling on the administration to extend those policies which have provided clarity for travelers, offered certainty for crews and prevented the spread of disease.”

None of the major players in the decision-making process – The White House, the TSA and the Centers for Disease Control – have commented.

It is not known what will happen if the May 11 deadline passes without an official statement.

“The federal mask requirement within the nation’s transportation system is set to expire on May 11,” a TSA spokeswoman, Sari Koshetz, said in an email to the Washington Post. “There has not been any decision or announcement regarding an extension.”

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said during the hearing that there was “every reason to believe” the mandate would be extended. But he also questioned how long it should last.

“Someday the mask requirement needs to end,” he said.

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