There is only one week left until the planned expiry of the mask mandate set by the United States' Transportation Security Administration (TSA). As things stand, the requirement is set to expire on 18th March 2022. It has previously been extended twice.

One week until expiry

The ongoing requirement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that all air travelers must wear a face mask onboard airplanes and in airports, as well as on buses and rail systems, is set to expire on 18th March.

There is currently no indication over whether the expiry date will be pushed back once again. In a press release seen by Simple Flying, the TSA said:

"The mask requirement remains in place and TSA will continue to assess the duration of the requirement in consultation with CDC."

There have previously been two extensions of the mandate, so it is not impossible that this will happen once again.

Should the mandate end?

Flight attendant unions have come out against the mask mandate, arguing that it is set to expire too soon. For example, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA put out a statement saying that the decision to remove mask requirements would endanger medically vulnerable passengers, as well as children under five years old who have not been authorized to receive vaccinations.

It was the flight attendant unions who campaigned for the mask mandate to be introduced to begin with. The Biden Administration did not introduce the federal mask mandate until January 2021 even though airlines in the US had been introducing their own mask mandates from late April 2020.

However, ending the mask mandate might be a straightforward way for airlines to see a reduction in unruly behavior by passengers. Between 1st January and 15th February, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received reports of nearly 400 unruly passengers. A full third of the cases involved a refusal to wear face masks.

In January, an American Airlines flight from Miami to London returned to the US a full hour after departure because a passenger had declined to wear a mask. As a result of this disruption, the flight was actually canceled in the end.

In September 2021, fines for a passenger failing to wear a mask onboard an airplane or in an airport were doubled. The fine amounts were lifted to $500-$1000 for first-time offenders and $1000 to $3000 for repeat offenders.

TSA Administrator, David Pekoske, said:

“We are prepared and ready for a busy spring and are doing our part to ensure the traveling public is safe and secure by continuing to deploy new technologies within the checkpoint that enhance security, reduce physical contact and improve the traveling experience. We just ask travelers to do their part by being respectful to each other and those who work in the transportation sector – from our officers to airport workers and flight crew.”