TSA to Extend Mask Mandate for Planes and Public Transportation

The airline travel mask mandate was set to expire on March 18.

However, the Transportation Security Administration announced plans to extend the rule that requires travelers to wear masks on planes and other modes of public transportation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 until April 18. The requirement will still remain in place for planes, buses, trains and transit hubs.

It is expected that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will develop guidelines that will ease the mask mandate for public transit next month.

The extension of the mandate comes after many states have started to roll back COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates as case rates and hospitalizations see a dramatic decline.

President Joe Biden imposed the federal mask mandate on airplanes upon taking office in 2021. TSA has reported a spike in disorderly passenger, many of which have refused to wear masks.