Several major U.S. airlines announced plans this week to restore flight privileges to thousands of customers previously barred from flying commercial planes for breaking mask rules earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The flurry of activity comes just days after federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) rule mandating masks on airplanes and other forms of public transportation.
Mizelle’s order says the CDC’s mandate had exceeded the agency’s statutory authority because its implementation violated federal administrative law. The order quickly led to a significant number of companies removing their mask requirements for customers.