The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA mentioned in an emailed statement, "We have every hope that the mask mandate will be extended for the short future." "In flying, the conditions are the same. The vaccination is not yet available to our youngest travellers."
The rule, which was initially enforced in February 2021 as a measure to limit the spread of Covid-19, is slated to expire on March 18 after being extended three times. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, masks have become a political lightning rod and have led to an increase in disorderly airline passenger events in the last year. According to FAA records, masks were involved in 72% of the 5,981 onboard disagreements last year.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents roughly 22,000 American Airlines Group Inc. personnel, said it isn't opposed to the mask requirement being extended, but that it is "looking forward to the day when it is no longer required." According to Lyn Montgomery, president of Transport Workers Union local 556, Southwest Airlines Co. flight attendants are focusing on safe working environments amid increased onboard aggressiveness "with and without mask restrictions."
As the number of illnesses falls, some jurisdictions and companies are removing the necessity for indoor masks. California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Illinois are among the states that have repealed such regulations, as are companies such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The Walt Disney Company is likewise doing away with a face-covering restriction for fully immunised attendees at its theme parks in the United States.
