Airline CEOs confront Biden, kick against mask mandates, COVID test for travelers

Chief Executive Officers of major U.S. airlines and carriers, Southwest, JetBlue, and FedEx have written the U.S. President Joe Biden demanding him to halt ‘outdated’ federal mask mandates on airplanes, including international predeparture testing requirement.

The top 10 CEOs in a letter to the administration from Airlines for America’s (A4A) Board of Directors, argued “Now is the time for the Administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions, including the international predeparture testing requirement and the federal mask mandate, that are no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment.”

Biden had insisted on extending the mask mandate to April 18, after it was scheduled to elapse on March 18.

The CEOs had protested that It is no longer justified to continue to extend the mask mandate, since infection case rates have been dropping.

The CEOs declared: “It is critical to recognize that the burden of enforcing both the mask and predeparture testing requirements has fallen on our employees for two years now.

“This is not a function they are trained to perform and subjects them to daily challenges by frustrated customers. This in turn takes a toll on their own well-being.

“We are requesting this action not only for the benefit the (sic) of the traveling public,” the letter added, but also for the thousands of airline employees charged with enforcing a patchwork of now-outdated regulations implemented in response to COVID-19.”

They insisted that it no longer ‘makes sense’ that Americans are now able to gather in other crowded areas like restaurants and entertainment venues  without masks on the ground, but are still required to adhere to the mandate in the air.

The letter was was addressed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, outgoing COVID Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients, and Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese. It was signed by CEOs of Alaska Air Group, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Airlines, FedEx Express, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines Holdings, UPS Airlines and Airlines for America.

They insist that immunity, optional masking, hospital-grade cabin air, ample vaccine availability and new therapeutics ‘provide a strong foundation for the Administration to lift the mask mandate and pre departure testing requirements.’

“We urge you to do so now,” they declared.

The CEOs maintained that several studies have shown that airplane cabins are one of the safest indoor environments due to highly filtered air and continuous air flow.

They further declared in the letter: “The science clearly supports lifting the mask mandate, as demonstrated by the recently released [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] framework indicating that 99 percent of the U.S. population no longer need to wear masks indoors.

“Lifting the mask mandate in airports and onboard aircraft can be done safely as England has done.

“Importantly, the effectiveness and availability of high-quality masks for those who wish to wear them gives passengers the ability to further protect themselves if they choose to do so.

“It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do.”