Airport Alert: CDC Issues Revised Face Mask Requirements for Outdoor Spaces at Airports
June 10, 2021
This afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it will be amending its face mask Order so that people are not required to wear a mask while outdoors on the premise of transportation hubs, like airports, or in outdoor areas of conveyances (if such outdoor areas exists). CDC stated that it understands "outdoors" to refer to any open-air area.
As part of this announcement, CDC stated that, until it can amend the Order, it will exercise its enforcement discretion to not require wearing a mask in outdoor areas of transportation conveyances (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance) or while outdoors at transportation hubs. CDC requested that its "federal partners and any cooperating state and local entities exercise similar enforcement discretion."
To that end, based on discussions with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), AAAE expects the agency to update its Frequently Asked Questions about face mask usage in outdoor areas shortly. TSA has already adopted an enforcement philosophy focused on passengers in the terminal areas of airports. TSA has indicated that the agency will not update its Security Directive (SD-1542-21-01A) until CDC revises its Order.
CDC reinforced that "conveyance operators must continue to require all people onboard to wear masks when boarding and disembarking, and for the duration of travel, unless they are located in outdoor areas of the conveyance (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance). Operators of transportation hubs must require all persons to wear a mask when entering or while located in the indoor premises of a transportation hub."
CDC continues to recommend people who are not fully vaccinated wear masks in these areas.
This announcement does not affect any existing exemptions or exclusions contained in the original Order.
AAAE has been consistently asking CDC and TSA to relax the outdoor face mask requirements at airports since CDC's April 27, 2021 decision that fully vaccinated people were not required to wear face masks outdoors.
Here are links to the CDC documents:
This afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it will be amending its face mask Order so that people are not required to wear a mask while outdoors on the premise of transportation hubs, like airports, or in outdoor areas of conveyances (if such outdoor areas exists). CDC stated that it understands "outdoors" to refer to any open-air area.
As part of this announcement, CDC stated that, until it can amend the Order, it will exercise its enforcement discretion to not require wearing a mask in outdoor areas of transportation conveyances (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance) or while outdoors at transportation hubs. CDC requested that its "federal partners and any cooperating state and local entities exercise similar enforcement discretion."
To that end, based on discussions with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), AAAE expects the agency to update its Frequently Asked Questions about face mask usage in outdoor areas shortly. TSA has already adopted an enforcement philosophy focused on passengers in the terminal areas of airports. TSA has indicated that the agency will not update its Security Directive (SD-1542-21-01A) until CDC revises its Order.
CDC reinforced that "conveyance operators must continue to require all people onboard to wear masks when boarding and disembarking, and for the duration of travel, unless they are located in outdoor areas of the conveyance (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance). Operators of transportation hubs must require all persons to wear a mask when entering or while located in the indoor premises of a transportation hub."
CDC continues to recommend people who are not fully vaccinated wear masks in these areas.
This announcement does not affect any existing exemptions or exclusions contained in the original Order.
AAAE has been consistently asking CDC and TSA to relax the outdoor face mask requirements at airports since CDC's April 27, 2021 decision that fully vaccinated people were not required to wear face masks outdoors.
Here are links to the CDC documents:
- Summary of the Updated Requirements for Face Mask Usage in Outdoor Spaces on Public Transportation Conveyances and Transportation Hubs
- Detailed Explanation of Revised Face Mask Guidance
