Will The U.S. Airline Mask Mandate End Soon? All You Need to Know
For the last two years, a lot of confusion and frustration has been there among people for mask mandates. But, now, you may get some relief from it. According to various news, on April 18, the federal mask mandate may expire. President Biden has extended the mandate many times, but it may end soon for public transports. But, will it end for U.S. Airlines?
Could The Mask Mandate Be Extended Past April 18?
Due to many reasons, airlines have been pushing the president to end the mask mandate on April 18. Not only airlines, but flight attendants are also urging Biden to end the mask mandate in the coming days. The union of flight attendants has sent an open letter to the President, pledging with him to let the mandate expire.
They are worried that the mandate has been extended three times, and the same can happen this time too. On the other hand, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said that the mask requirements would depend on the state of the virus.
In recent days, the country has experienced a dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases. And the political pressure to end the airplane mask mandate is increasing. Also, some travelers do not want to take off masks and are not in favor of ending the mask mandate.
Could Dropping The Mandate Backfire?
When most of the airlines and their staff demand to end the mask mandate, some people think the decision will backfire. They believe if any elderly people fly without a mask, it can be too risky for their health.
Moreover, people are saying that if crew members are exposed to the virus, and get sick, then airlines could face a big loss. The airlines’ schedule will get disturbed due to which both staff and passengers will suffer a lot.
For example, the Swiss carrier EasyJet had to cancel many flights after it ended the mask mandate, citing the staff catch COVID-19. There is an airline analyst who believes that there are some people who will feel uncomfortable flying with fellow passengers not wearing a mask.
As another thing, people are in favor and against the mask mandate. But, when talking about airlines, they definitely want the mask mandate to end as they can normally fly as before 2019.
Forced mask-wearing causes friction in aircraft cabins and crew. Last year, about 72 percent of a record 5,981 reports of the bad behavior of passengers were related to masks only. This is the reason why airlines request Biden to end the mask mandate after April 18.
