The mask mandate, requiring facemasks for passengers on planes, buses, trains and in terminals has been extended to Sept. 13; it had originally been scheduled to sunset on May 11.
TSA said the extension is in line with updated policies from the Centers for Disease Control, and is based on the rate at which Covid is coming under control. A senior TSA official said “The federal mask requirement throughout the transportation system seeks to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation. About half of all adults have at least one vaccination shot and masks remain an important tool in defeating this pandemic.”
The federal mask mandate was ordered by Pres. Biden on day one of his administration; previously airlines were enforcing, with varying levels of success, mask orders of their own, and asked for federal help to back them up. Last week, representatives of airlines and the largest union of flight attendants had called for the extension.
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