As a result of a US federal judge’s ruling on Monday to overturn the nationwide face mask rule for aircraft, trains, buses, and other modes of public transportation, airlines are allowing passengers to forego wearing them. Since then, a video of customers on a US airline praising the repeal of the face mask requirement has gone viral.
The captain stated over the intercom that the federal transportation mask rules had been struck down by a court, and the entire cabin erupted in celebration. A passenger took to Twitter to share a video of the flight crew announcing the change in mask policy, with the audience ecstatically applauding.
The video, which has over two million views, shows passengers on a Delta aircraft celebrating the repeal of the mask requirement. The pilot may be seen in the video announcing that the Biden administration’s mask mandate on public administration has been overturned by a federal judge in Florida, allowing passengers to choose whether or not to wear their masks. The video shows the captain reading the flight’s news, during which the passengers remove their masks and cheer enthusiastically.
The airline made the statement after US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the Middle District of Florida ruled that the CDC’s mask regulation exceeded its legislative jurisdiction. The mask order “exceeded the CDC’s statutory power,” according to the judge, and the health agency “failed to sufficiently explain its conclusions.”
The court deems the mask mandate “unlawful” and vacates it since the system does not allow agencies to behave unlawfully even in pursuit of desired aims. It’s worth noting that the White House has described the decision as “disappointing,” and that the CDC continues to advise people to wear masks on public transportation.
