Confirmed: No More Masks on Airplanes, Public Transportation!

Yesterday, April 18, it was announced that a federal judge in Florida struck down President Biden’s extension of the CDC and TSA’s nationwide mask mandate for passengers and employees of the airline industry and other forms of public transportation.

At the time of the announcement, it was some uncertainty as to what U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle’s ruling would mean. Now we know that it effectively ended the mask mandates set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and enforced by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as originally planned. Judge Mizelle threw out the extension, saying that proper levels of authority were exceeded in extending the mandates.

According to The Wall Street Journal,

A Biden administration official said the mandate is no longer in effect while the government considers its next steps, and the Transportation Security Administration said it would stop enforcing it. Airlines late Monday began saying they would lift masking requirements, policy changes that in some cases were implemented midflight.

The mandates are also ending on the private sector’s front as well. United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Alaska Airlines all said they would make mask-wearing optional at U.S. airports and on domestic flights. America’s major passenger rail network, Amtrak, also announced it would no longer enforce mask-wearing while aboard its trains.

This means that Guests beginning or ending their Disneyland or Walt Disney World vacation with a flight in or out of large indoor public places like Orlando International Airport (MCO), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), or any of the other surrounding Florida and California Airports will no longer need to keep themselves and their families masked for the duration of the trip due. However, airline professionals have asked that passengers show patience as all TSA and airline employees across the United States are able to receive the news and alter their policies.

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted in celebration of the judge’s ruling, saying, “Great to see a federal judge in Florida follow the law and reject the Biden transportation mask mandate. Both airline employees and passengers deserve to have this misery end.”

Great to see a federal judge in Florida follow the law and reject the Biden transportation mask mandate. Both airline employees and passengers deserve to have this misery end.

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 18, 2022

Now that the masked bookends of many people’s Disney vacations have come to an end, eyes turn to the Resorts themselves. As of now, The Walt Disney World Resort made face coverings completely optional in all indoor and outdoor areas except Disney World Bus Transportation and The Walt Disney World Monorail System. It is also unclear at this time if the current means of mass transportation employed by Disney for airport transfers like Mears will also end their mask-wearing policies.

Readers should keep in mind that while the mandates are over, all travelers and workers are still allowed to wear face coverings if they so choose.

We at Disney Fanatic will continue to keep an eye on this story and will update our readers, and more information comes to light.