Airlines, unions welcome federal mask mandate

Airlines and aviation unions welcomed the new federal mask mandate, which authorizes the Transportation Security Administration to enforce compliance with federal face covering requirements. “We welcome the federal mandate as an additional layer of support, which will strengthen our flight crews’ ability to enforce face-covering requirements for the duration of the pandemic,” said Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio, noting that airlines “have been vigorously enforcing face-covering requirements since April 2020.”