Airplane, bus and rail passengers must continue to mask up at Tri-Cities Airport
Airport officials are requiring Tri-Cities travelers to continue wearing masks while in the airport and on planes.
The Transportation Security Administration announced Thursday that the nationwide mandate for wearing masks inside airport terminals and on planes has been extended. The extension applies to airlines, airports, buses and railways.
The Tri-Cities Airport said while Washington state has lifted COVID-19 indoor mask requirements starting at midnight Friday night, the TSA order takes precedent.
The extension means travelers headed through the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco will need to continue masking up at airports and on planes through at least April 18.
“While the federal mask mandate remains in effect, we ask that everyone who visits the Tri-Cities Airport comply with regulations and wear a mask inside the terminal,” stated Buck Taft, airport director.
Even if vaccinated, the TSA requires that everyone ages 2 and older wear a face covering while inside an airport.
Masks also are required while boarding and traveling on an airplane. However, visitors are no longer required to wear a mask while outdoors at airports, including in the parking lot or on the curb.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also has a zero-tolerance policy for airplane passengers who refuse to wear face coverings. Failure to comply with the mask mandate can result in fines or prosecution.
Buses
Ben Franklin Transit said the order extends to all their buses and Dial-A-Ride vehicles in the Tri-Cities, spokesperson Marie Cummins said in a news release.
“We’ve been working hard to spread the word to riders that masks will still be required on all Ben Franklin Transit property and vehicles come March 12,” Cummins said. “We know a lot of folks are looking forward to taking off their masks, and the last thing we want is for our riders to be disappointed and unprepared when they board our vehicles.” Cummins also noted that all BFT vehicles will remain equipped with disposable masks for riders who do not have one.
Cummins said the extension is meant to allow local transit operators more time to new, targeted policies. BFT has upgraded the air filtration systems on all their buses, as well as installed air purification devices ahead of the mask mandate being lifted.
Mask enforcement
Last September, after hearing from airline workers, the Biden administration and the TSA stepped up enforcement of mask mandates at airports and on planes. The move came after reports of record abuse of airline workers by passengers.
Already this year, the Federal Aviation Administration has received more than 800 reports of unruly passengers. Of those reports, 535 were mask related. The FAA has investigated more than 220 of those cases, with 100 resulting in enforcement action taken through just March 7.
According to data from the FAA, that means in the first three months of 2022, more investigations have been launched as the agency typically performed in an average year before the pandemic. The last year the agency initiated more than 200 investigations was 2005.
In 2021, the agency initiated 1,099 investigations, stemming from around 5,000 reports.
Because of the rise in instances of unruly passengers, congress raised the maximum fine from $25,000 to $37,000 per violation. The agency notes that one incident can result in multiple violations.
Now that the mandate has been lifted outside of airports, will you continue to wear a mask when out of town? Let us know by participating in our online reader poll.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 12:55 PM.
