- Delta and United said Wednesday they’ll reinstate passengers banned for mask-wearing violations.
- Under a federal mandate, the airlines had strict COVID-19 mask-wearing policies.
- That mandate was struck down by a federal judge Monday. The government is appealing.
Around 2,000 Delta and 1,000 United passengers who were banned for COVID-19 mask-wearing violations will be permitted to fly with the airlines again.
The carriers said Wednesday that these passengers would be removed from their respective no-fly lists on a case-by-case basis.
Delta and United, along with other major US airlines, dropped their mask-wearing requirements on Monday soon after a judge struck down the federal mask mandate. The Department of Justice said Wednesday it would appeal the ruling.
Both airlines warned that banned passengers would need to commit to complying with flight safety rules before being allowed to travel with them again.
A Delta spokesperson said: “With masks now optional, Delta will restore flight privileges for customers on the mask non-compliance no-fly list only after each case is reviewed and each customer demonstrates an understanding of their expected behavior when flying with us.”
The spokesperson added: “Any further…