CEOs of several airlines ask Biden to end the mask mandate and mandatory covid testing requirements

CDC data will give flexibility to the use of masks 1:09 (CNN Business) — The CEOs of 10 airlines and freight companies sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling for an end to the mask mandate and the testing requirements to detect covid-19 for international travelers. In a new letter, the industry group Airlines for America wrote: “Now is the time for the administration to remove federal transportation travel restrictions, including the international pre-departure testing requirement and the federal mandate to use mask, which are no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment. Businessman weighs in on stopping wearing masks in New York 3:53 The CEOs of Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and UPS Airlines signed the letter . Earlier this month, the White House pushed back the end of the carry mask mandate to April 18. The White House said relevant government agencies would consult with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on whether the mandate could expire sooner and under what circumstances it could be brought back. The letter comes after CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that the BA.2 subvariant of omicron does not appear to cause more severe covid-19 but is more transmissible than the parent strain.