Federal Mask Mandates Require Masks on Planes, in National Parks and More

In some of his first actions in office, President Joe Biden signed two executive orders that included mask mandates. A Jan. 20 executive order includes a mandate that requires masks to be worn on federal lands like national parks and in federal buildings. An executive order signed on Jan. 21 mandates masks to be worn in airports, on commercial aircraft, on trains, on public maritime vessels (including ferries), on intercity bus services and all forms of public transportation as defined in section 5302 of title 49, United States Code. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will begin enforcing the mask mandate on public transportation and in transportation hubs on Feb. 2.

“America’s transportation systems are essential,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “Given how interconnected most transportation systems are across our nation and the world, when infected persons travel on public conveyances without wearing a mask and with others who are not wearing masks, the risk of interstate and international transmission can grow quickly.”

Though most airports and airlines already had company policies in place requiring masks, having a rule at the federal level makes mask-wearing easier to enforce, according to a statement from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a union representing flight attendants in the U.S. “[The] executive action on a mask mandate for interstate travel, including airports and planes, will provide much needed back up for Flight Attendants and aviation workers on the frontlines,” the statement says. “Masks are vitally important to the health of everyone onboard and an especially necessary safety measure in our workspace where proper social distancing is not an option.”

Airlines for America, a trade association representing major North American airlines, also released a statement in support of the order. “We recognize that face coverings are a critical measure in our multi-layered approach to protecting the traveling public, which is why U.S. airlines have been vigorously enforcing face covering requirements since April 2020,” the statement says. “We welcome the federal mandate as an additional layer of support, which will strengthen our flight crews’ ability to enforce face covering requirements for the duration of the pandemic.”