The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would extend the federal transportation mask requirement for two weeks on Wednesday, five days before it was set to end. The agency said in a statement that the mask mandate is set to end on May 3.
The C.D.C. decided to extend the mask requirement because of the spread of the Omicron subvariant of the coronaviruses.
The agency said that the C.D.C. order will remain in place at this time.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the C.D.C., told NBC that they were going to make a decision.
The possibility of an extension had provoked applause from some passengers, who say the requirement make them feel safer in crowded planes and airports, as new coronaviruses spread, and disappointment from others, who feel that it's absurd to require masks in the sky and in airports.
In recent months, airlines and the hotel industry have been lobbying the White House to overturn the mask rule and the requirement to test before returning to the United States from abroad. In one of the most recent letters, dated April 8, Airlines for America, an industry group representing eight airlines; the U.S. Travel Association, a trade group that caters to business and leisure travelers.
While the public health benefits of these policies have diminished, the economic costs associated with maintaining these measures are significant.
The two groups that have to deal with implementing the rule were not represented by major unions.
The president of the union that represents Transportation Security Administration employees said on Tuesday that they have to comply with whatever the agency puts in place. The mask rule has not created many issues for the average worker because most travelers comply and if they don't, agents are encouraged.
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