Just before I boarded my plane, Judge Mizelle declared that the mask mandate had been repealed. United stated that the mandate would be enforced as long as it was boarded. In order to avoid being subject to private sanctions, my mask was kept on. United changed policy a moment before landing and declared that they would no longer enforce my mask mandate.
NEW FROM UNIONAIRLINES: “Effectively immediately masks no longer need to be worn at United for domestic flights and select international flights. This is dependent on the mask requirements of each destination country. airports.”
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) April 18, 2022
My mask was taken off at that point. Before the doors opened, we had time to talk to the flight attendant after landing. After explaining that the mandate had been declared illegal in court, United informed me that they wouldn’t enforce it. I gave the tweet to the flight attendant. It came from a blue-check mark account, so it has to be official. She was stunned and immediately understood the significance of it. “No more masks!” she said. After I got off my plane, I saw several people who were not wearing masks around the terminal. Starbucks’ barista shouted, “Freedom!”
Many APA rulings have a limited scope and affect only small towns in an obscure manner. For most people, even so-called nationwide orders are difficult to comprehend. The impact of the Tampa decision is felt across America immediately. The ruling of Judge Mizelle may have been the most popular in the history of APA.