Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Love Field, other public transit lift travel mask mandates
Both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field have lifted their mask mandates after a federal judge from Florida ruled the federal mandate on public transportation exceeded the CDC’s statutory authority.
“Per the withdrawal of the TSA’s Security Directive requiring masks in airports, masks will now be optional for Dallas Love Field employees, passengers, and guests,” a tweet from the Dallas-based airport said around 8:30 p.m. Monday.
DFW followed suit, saying in a news release Tuesday morning that the TSA would no longer enforce the mask mandate “effective immediately.”
“DFW Airport will no longer require customers or employees to wear a face mask, though anyone may choose to wear one voluntarily,” Brian Brooks, a spokesperson for DFW Airport, said. “Traveling customers should check with their airlines and their destinations for any rules regarding face masks.”
Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines also dropped their mask requirements within hours of the judge’s ruling.
United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled the extended mask mandate “unlawful.”
“The Court accepts the CDC’s policy determination that requiring masks will limit COVID-19 transmission and will thus decrease the serious illnesses and death that COVID-19 occasions. But that finding by itself is not sufficient to establish good cause,” Mizelle’s 59-page ruling said.
“’If the existence of a communicable disease alone permitted CDC to find ‘good cause,’ [then] CDC would seldom, if ever, need to comply with [notice and comment].’ ... And the COVID-19 pandemic does not ‘always. .. justify an agency’s bypassing the notice-and-comment process,’” Mizelle continued. “Far from it. Instead, the agency must — at the very least — ‘[identify] specific reasons why in the environment of [the regulation] the ongoing pandemic constituted good cause.’ ... The Mandate does not do that.”
The federal mask mandate for public transportation, which was set to expire on April 18, had been extended until May 3, as states in the northeast had begun seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases from the BA.2 omicron subvariant.
“This is obviously a disappointing decision,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday after the judge’s decision. “The CDC continues recommending wearing a mask in public transit.”
Trinity Metro, DART
Dallas-Fort Worth bus and train services also have dropped their masks mandates.
“In response to the federal judge’s ruling and to align with the Transportation Security Administration’s decision to not enforce the mask mandate on planes and other public transportation, Trinity Metro will no longer require masks on any of our vehicles or in our facilities,” according to a statement on Trinity Metro’s website. “Passengers, operators and conductors may continue wearing masks if they prefer to do so.”
“Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will no longer require that a face mask be worn by passengers and operators while onboard DART vehicles or at DART facilities,” DART said in a statement.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 9:11 AM.
