The chief executives of the largest US airlines asked President Biden on Wednesday to allow the federal mask to expire at airports and planes next month.
The group also asked the government to drop a requirement that foreign visitors test negative for the coronavirus before traveling to the United States.
“The persistent and persistent decline in hospitalization and death rates is one of the most urgent indications that our country is well protected from severe illness from Covid-19,” the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and many other passenger and cargo carriers wrote in Letter to Mr. Biden.
“Given that we have entered a different phase of dealing with this virus, we strongly support your view that ‘Covid-19 no longer needs to control our lives,'” they said, citing a phrase the president used in his speech. State of the Union who casts advance this month.
The message marks the first time the industry has publicly united against the mask mandate, which Recently extended Until mid-April. At a congressional hearing in December, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly questioned the effectiveness of masks on planes, but stood alone. A day later, Delta CEO, Ed Bastian, He told CNBC“Masks are going to be important as a precaution for a while now.”
Earlier this week, TWU Local 556 was released, and union who represents flight attendants from Southwest Airlines, wrote A Message To the Biden administration urging it to drop the federal mask mandate for public transportation.
A growing chorus of Americans, politicians, and business leaders called for an end to such mandates. This month, Hawaii became the 50th and last state to drop the inner mask mandate.
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