Airlines desperate for mask mandates to takeoff

The steady decline of serious Covid cases across the country has the CEOs of leading airlines wondering how long the mandates can last.

Come fly with me

The CEOs of some of America’s 10 largest airlines have signed a letter to the Biden administration asking for travel restrictions to be dropped. And there might be good reason for it.

The travel industry is facing a two-pronged attack of soaring oil prices and a slow post-Covid recovery. The mask and vaccine mandates, they say, are only making things worse. After all, with federal mandates across the country slipping, why keep the airlines on a tight leash?

Then there’s the human factor. Cases of disruptive behavior on airlines over the past two years have steadily grown. Thousands were banned from airlines last year due to refusal to accept the mandates, with airport staff bearing the brunt of the frustration. The two-track Covid rules are just not working anymore, they say.

But not so fast…

But despite the pleas of the airlines, there’s just no escaping the reality that airports and airlines, unlike the Walmart on the corner, are living, breathing petri dishes for the virus. Sorry to put that in your heads.

The virus was able to seize a foothold in the first place due to international travelers jetting off around the world – and bringing their cooties with them. So while mandates might still be a barrier to some, there’s no escaping the challenges that the all-clear could bring.