Prognosis
Mask Mandate Likely to Be Extended, U.S. Flight Attendants Say
- Union notes youngest passengers aren’t eligible for vaccines
- Mask mandate set to expire March 18 after multiple extensions
A traveler wears a protective mask at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The largest union representing U.S. flight attendants expects a federal order mandating face masks for air passengers and other travelers will be extended again, even as a growing number of states and businesses lift restrictions.
The requirement is set to expire March 18 after being extended three times since it first was imposed in February 2021 as a way to stem the spread of Covid-19. Masks have been a political lightning rod and contributed to a surge in unruly airline passenger incidents over the past 12 months, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Of 5,981 onboard disputes last year, 72% were related to masks, FAA statistics show.