It is finally over. Face coverings are no longer required to fly commercial in the United States of America. And as unblocked smiles return to the skies, it appears that those travelers punished for protesting the persisting mandates are able to fly once again.
According to Spectrum News, airlines will be removing “mask violators” from their no-fly list.
From Delta Airlines on Wednesday, April 20:
“[Delta] will restore flight privileges for customers on the mask non-compliance no-fly list only after each case is reviewed and each customer demonstrates an understanding of their expected behavior when flying with us. Any further disregard for the policies that keep us all safe will result in placement on Delta’s permanent no-fly list.”
From United Airlines:
“On a case-by-case basis we will allow some customers who were previously banned for failing to comply with mask-related rules to fly United again – after ensuring their commitment to follow all crewmember instructions on board.”
From Alaska Airlines:
“Guests who were banned solely for mask noncompliance will be allowed to purchase tickets on our flights.”
Others like American Airlines and JetBlue also released similar statements, keeping in mind the level of unruliness that each case went to and suggesting that if a situation originating over face masks escalated to a certain point, Passengers’ behavior could keep them on the no-fly list.
Related: No Masks Expected in Minnie Vans as Lyft, Uber End Mask Mandates
The Federal Aviation Administration admitted that almost 800 of the 1,233 reports of “unruly passengers” on flights in 2020 were mask-related, and 72% of the nearly 6,000 cases in 2021 reportedly stemmed from “mask violations.”
The stringent mask mandates–and flight attendants’ enforcement of such–have affected passengers of all ages, with entire families being kicked off flights due to a 2 or 3-year-old child not wanting to wear his or her mask.
This news can only signal that more families will be able to travel together once again, including to family destinations like the Walt Disney World Resort–via Orlando International Airport (MCO)–and the Disneyland Resort–via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Meanwhile, the Walt Disney World Resort has removed mask mandates for its Monorail and Bus transportation services, making face coverings completely optional for every aspect of one’s Disney Vacation experience.
We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on news as it pertains to their Disneyland or Disney World Vacation as more developments come to light.