1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Mask Mandate: Does the Federal Aviation Administration Have Authority to Require Masks on Flights? February 8, 2021 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions that although air circulat
2、ion and filtration systems in passenger aircraft help reduce the spread of most viruses, sitting within six feet of others on flights may still increase the risk of contracting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all major U.S. airlines voluntarily implem
3、ented policies requiring passengers and crew to wear face masks during flights. However, some commentators raised concerns that the lack of a federal mask mandate has hindered the airline industrys voluntary enforcement of these requirements. On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an executive
4、order titled Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel. Among other things, the order instructs several federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and “the heads of any other executive departments and agencies . . . that have relevant regulatory autho