The federal mandate that requires people to wear masks in airports and on flights is set to expire on March 18. Frankly, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to go maskless in a flying orgy of germs, but we’ve all seen the absurd antics of unmasked crusaders on airplanes. Airline attendants are concerned that lifting the mask mandate will endanger the most vulnerable passengers.
For context, the federal government created the mask mandate in January 2021. It was set to expire in May 2021, but has been extended twice since. The federal ruling makes it illegal for anyone to go maskless through the airline transportation system and gives the T.S.A. the authority to impose fines on people who refuse to comply. Sure, individual airlines can set their own rules about these things if the government chooses to let the rule expire — but that puts those airlines in the position of making a very politically charged decision.
