DENVER (KDVR) — After a federal judge voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation, Denver International Airport announced it will no longer require masks.
After the ruling, the airport initially said Monday afternoon that its mask policy would stay in place. On Monday night, the airport said it would align with the ruling.
“We have been informed by the TSA that they will no longer be enforcing the national mask mandate at airports,” the airport tweeted. “As a result, masks are no longer required at DEN and we will be removing mask signage (which might take a bit of time).”
“Mask requirements could vary by airline or destination, so we still encourage passengers to carry a mask when traveling,” the airport stated.
TSA said it would no longer be enforcing the mask mandate.
“Due to today’s court ruling, effective immediately, TSA will no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs,” TSA said in a statement. “TSA will also rescind the new Security Directives that were scheduled to take effect tomorrow. CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.”
A Biden administration official said “today’s court decision means CDC’s public transportation masking order is not in effect at this time,” NewsNation reported.
The Biden administration is still encouraging travelers to wear masks on public transit in order to protect against COVID-19 in the wake of Monday’s ruling. But those who do not wear face coverings on planes and other modes of public transportation will not face consequences.
The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking.
In her 59-page ruling, Mizelle said the only remedy was to vacate the rule entirely across the country because it would be impossible to end it for the limited group of people who objected in the lawsuit.
The Justice Department declined to comment Monday when asked if the government planned to appeal the ruling by the Florida federal judge.
The CDC extended the mask mandate, which was set to expire Monday, until May 3.
Aviation law expert weighs in
Joseph Lorusso is the director of aviation law at Ramos Law and a pilot. He weighed in, saying not so fast.
“From a pilot perspective, it is important to maintain the cockpit, the flight deck,” Lorusso said. “Now is not the time for people to start ripping masks off, saying, I don’t have to do this anymore, and making a bigger scene on the airplane because I promise you, there will still be an issue with that. Right? The FAA will still take issue with that. So right now it’s important for everybody, just be calm, be patient. Let this play out. Let the airlines figure out what they’re going to do.”
He said each airline will make its own policy.
“The moment that airplane, those doors closed and the airplane pulls out, you’re now under the authority of that flight crew. It’s important. … They’re not trying to pull civil rights and not doing anything like that. They’re trying to get an airplane that is defying gravity … They’re trying to get it from point A to point B safely, and they have to maintain order,” Lorusso said. “So, you know, political opinions aside, you know, ideas aside ideology aside, that they have to maintain a safe environment in that aircraft in order to have a successful play.”
