Airline CEOs ask Biden to end federal mask mandate: 'Makes no sense'

A group of airline CEOs sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to end the federal mask mandate on public transportation, arguing mandatory masking is"no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment."

"It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do," the letter said.

CEOs of Alaska Air, Atlas Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and Airlines for America signed the letter.

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"Now is the time for the Administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions — including the international predeparture testing requirement and the federal mask mandate — that are no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment," the letter continued. 

Earlier this month, the Biden administration extended the mask mandates for public transportation until April 18. All 50 states have meanwhile announced plans to drop masking requirements. 

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"We are encouraged by the current data and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from coast to coast, which indicate it is past time to eliminate COVID-era transportation policies," the letter to the president said. 

The CEOs argued that enforcing the rules have fallen on airline employees, which has subjected "them to daily challenges by frustrated customers" and is taking "a toll on their own well-being."

FAA data last year showed the number of unruly passengers on flights was on the rise. This year, there have been 961 reports of unruly passengers, 635 of them were mask related incidents, FAA data show. 

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the letter.

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