US mask mandate for flights likely to be extended: Union

Bloomberg

The largest union representing US flight attendants expects a federal order mandating face masks for air passengers and other travellers will be extended again, even as a growing number of states and businesses lift restrictions.
The requirement is set to expire on March 18 after being extended three times since it first was imposed in February 2021 as a way to stem the spread of Covid-19. Masks have been a political lightning rod and contributed to a surge in unruly airline passenger incidents over the past 12 months, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Of 5,981 onboard disputes last year, 72% were related to masks, FAA statistics show.
“We have every expectation that the mask mandate will be extended for the near term,” the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said. “The conditions in aviation are the same. Our youngest passengers do not yet have access to the vaccine.”
As infections decline, some states and businesses are opting to drop indoor mask requirements.