Four largest airlines drop COVID mask requirement hours after judge strikes down CDC mandate
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A federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden admin's ongoing traveler mask mandate
By Sophie Mann and Madeleine Hubbard
Updated: April 18, 2022 - 9:08pm

Four major U.S. airlines are ditching COVID-19 mask requirements after a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate for air passengers and others mass travelers. 

Several airlines, including United Airlines, Delta, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines announced that they were dropping the mask requirements for passengers and employees.

Delta noted that "mask mandates in other countries may still be in effect," despite the airline's announcement.

"You may experience inconsistent enforcement during the next 24 hours as this news is more broadly communicated," the company added.

The judge, Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, said the mandate was unlawful because it exceeded the statutory authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention DC and that its implementation violates administrative law insofar as the agency did not provide a sufficient justification for its mandate.

The administration recently extended to May 3 the mandate for plane, rail, bus and other similar travel, while most other pandemic-related mandates have been lifted. The agency decided more time was warranted due to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases attributed to the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. The travel mandate has been in place since the earliest stages of the pandemic in 2020.-- excerpt, rest at link above --

Right after I got back from a loooong trip!

Biden to appeal court ruling striking down COVID mask mandate on planes, trains, and transit
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"If CDC concludes that a mandatory order remains necessary... the Department of Justice will appeal the district court’s decision," the spokesman said.
By Madeleine Hubbard
Updated: April 19, 2022 - 7:09pm


The Department of Justice on Tuesday announced that if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines masks to be necessary, it will appeal the Florida judge's decision striking down the Biden administration's COVID-19 mask mandate on transportation.

The DOJ and the CDC "disagree with the district court’s decision," Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley wrote in a press release. 

The executive branch "will appeal, subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health," he added.

On Monday, Florida Federal Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the mask requirement on transportation such as planes was unconstitutional because it exceeded the CDC's authority and the health agency did not provide reasoning behind the mandate.

Hours later, the four largest airlines in the U.S. – United Airlines, Delta, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines – announced that they were dropping the mask requirements for passengers and employees.-- excerpt, rest at link above --

I suspect that an appeal will come... at a certain point in time...