By
Dareh
GregorianNBC
News
The CEOs of several major commercial and cargo airlines have called on the White House to cancel mandatory mask wearing and COVID-19 testing requirements that were imposed as a precaution over the virus.
“The high degree of immunity in the US, the availability of high-quality masks for those who want to wear them, hospital-grade cabin air, widespread vaccination, and the availability of new therapies provide a strong foundation for the Administration to eliminate the mask mandate and pre-flight COVID-19 testing requirements.
We urge you to do so now," wrote the Airlines for America organization, which represents various industry groups.
“We are requesting this action not only for the benefit of the traveling public, but also for the thousands of airline employees tasked with enforcing a patchwork of now-outdated regulations put in place in response to COVID-19,” the Wednesday letter, which was signed, read. by the heads of 10 airlines, including American, Delta and United.
The American Airlines terminal at the international airport in Miami, Florida, on April 29, 2021.Marta Lavandier / AP
The Transportation Security Administration announced last month that it would extend the mask mandate on public transportation through April 18.
Frustration over aircraft mask requirements has contributed to episodes of violence when some passengers have refused to comply with the rule.
[Federal authorities impose more than $60,000 in fines on five passengers for plane incidents]
The Federal Aviation Administration says there have been 961 reports of disobedient behavior on planes this year, 635 of which involved the use of masks.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, there have been more than 4,000 reports of mask-related incidents, according to the data.
COVID-19 cases across the country are down an average 24% and the number of deaths 66% in the past two weeks, even now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have relaxed their guidelines on the use of masks.
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In the letter, the CEOs explained that their industry had supported the CDC's guidelines,
stating that they had always been based on scientific evidence.
“From the beginning, we voluntarily implemented policies and procedures: mandating mouth and nose coverings, requiring passenger health status and contact tracing information, and enhancing cleaning protocols to form a multi-tiered approach to mitigating risk. and prioritize the well-being of passengers and employees,” they wrote.
They argued, however, that
"much has changed since these measures were imposed and they no longer make sense in the current public health context"
.
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“People are still required to wear masks on airplanes, but they are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and sporting events without them, even though none of these places have the protective air filtration system that airlines do. airplanes," they argued.
The White House and the Transportation Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
