America’s TSA Extends Mask Mandate Into April

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending the federal mask mandate on airplanes and in airports at least another month. According to reports citing both White House and TSA officials, the mask mandate will now extend at least through April 18. 

That date could mark the end of the mandate, though the TSA has given no indication as of yet, and the TSA plans to continue working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other government agencies, to come up with a framework to wind down the rules in the future. 

That's something that the U.S. Travel Association continues to push for, too. In a statement on Thursday, president and CEO called for the return of normal travel rules. 

"The Biden administration urgently needs to send a clear message to the American public and the world that it is safe to travel again, particularly for vaccinated individuals, despite this 30-day extension of the federal mask mandate. We continue to urge the federal government to phase out the mask requirement and put forward a clear plan for travelers within this 30-day period," he said.

The original mask mandate was put in place at the beginning of the pandemic and has since been extended twice. The enforcement of the mandate, tasked mostly to flight attendants, has since caused some chaos in the air, with fines for disobeying the mandate now exceeding more than $1 million across close to 4,000 incidents in the sky. 

The TSA will continue to fine passengers who disobey the order and cause issues—first-time offenders will now be fined between $500 to $1,000, up from $250 prior, while repeat offenders will be faced with fines somewhere between $1,000 and $3,000. 

The TSA went one step farther earlier this year, announcing that passengers who cause issues onboard airplanes could soon lose their PreCheck credentials. 

Source: Travel Market Report