Pilots file lawsuit against CDC over mask mandate
(NewsNation) — A group of airline pilots, mostly from carrier JetBlue, are suing over the federal transportation mask mandate, calling it unconstitutional and unsafe.
Ten pilots from four different airlines are suing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, trying to get rid of the federal mask mandate on flights.
Seven of the pilots are from JetBlue and one each are from Southwest, American and PSA airlines.
In the lawsuit, the pilots challenged both the safety and the legality of the federal transportation mask mandate.
The pilots also say that thousands of unruly passenger situations that have happened during the pandemic have been caused by incidents related to masks.
Pilots argue that airlines are being held to an unfair standard compared to other businesses, saying, “It makes no sense to continue to require masks on airplanes when they are no longer being required in shopping malls, theaters and offices.”
The CDC has yet to respond to the lawsuit, and as of now masks are required on planes through April 18 after the TSA extended the mask order.