Charlotte Area Transit, Airport End Mask Requirements

CHARLOTTE, NC — The Charlotte Area Transit System and Charlotte Douglas International Airport made separate announcements Tuesday ending masking requirements for travelers and employees.

The decisions come a day after a federal judge overturned a federal travel mask mandate that has been in effect since early 2021. Both policy changes are in effect immediately.

"More comfortable wearing a mask? The choice is yours," the airport said in an announcement on Twitter. "Passengers should continue to check with their airline for mask requirements."

Florida federal Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said in the 59-page decision striking down the travel mask mandate that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both exceeded its legal authority and failed to go through proper channels to put the rule in place.

As a result, the CDC late Monday said its order requiring masks on public transportation "is no longer in effect" and the agency will not enforce it. However, the CDC said it "continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time."

The Transportation Security Administration is no longer requiring masks on planes or in the nation’s airports. One by one, most of the nation’s major airlines dropped mask requirements following the court ruling, making the face coverings optional for employees and passengers.

It’s unclear if the Biden administration will appeal the decision. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday that Mizelle’s decision was "disappointing," and the administration’s response is still under review and the "Department of Justice would make any determination about litigation."