Travelers happy, weary after end of mask mandates at Pittsburgh-area airports

With the mask mandate for public transportation and air travel lifted, many travelers showed their faces Tuesday at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The majority of travelers were mask-free while at the baggage claim, while in security lines, and at check-in locations. On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s rule requiring passengers to wear masks on airplanes, in airports and on public transportation.

Pittsburgh International Airport officials said the ruling means that masking is no longer required in the terminal for passengers or staff. The Biden administration said Tuesday evening it would appeal the ruling if the CDC believes a mask mandate is still necessary.

Nicki Proudfoot, a woman from South Africa who was visiting Pittsburgh for a wedding, wasn’t wearing a mask at the check-in area of the airport.

She said it was very strange to her not to see everyone wearing masks since South Africa has much stricter covid policies, but added she was relieved to not have to wear one the entire time on the long flight back to South Africa.

“I feel calm about the change,” Proudfoot said. “We have to learn to live with the pandemic.”

John Weberg was visiting Pittsburgh from Nebraska and was returning home Tuesday. He was not wearing a mask and said it was “wonderful” the mandate was lifted.

“It should be up to people’s individual choice,” said Weberg, who added that it wasn’t common for people in many places in Nebraska to be wearing masks. “Hopefully, they keep it off.”

Although a majority of people at the Pittsburgh airport were mask-free, there were still significant numbers of passengers who still wore masks.

“I think people should be wearing them,” said traveler Reese Davis of Ohio, who was wearing his mask. “There are still people dying every day.”

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U.S. covid cases have been on the rise recently due to the omicron BA.2 subvariant spreading, particularly in the Northeast U.S. On April 17, the 7-day moving average was more than 35,000 cases, compared to about 25,000 two weeks ago, according to the CDC. Death and hospitalization rates, however, are still falling during the same time period.

Sheila McKay of Florida wore a mask while walking to the security gate and said she disagreed with lifting the mask mandate. She said her husband has been suffering from a long-term illness for four years, and that Americans have a responsibility to keep community members healthy.

“I do think we should wear them,” said McKay. “I don’t want to take a chance.”

Lilly Adams grew up in Pittsburgh and now lives in Brooklyn. She was returning to Brooklyn, wearing a mask, and said she was unaware that the mask mandate was lifted. She said it was bad timing to lift the mandate now, as cases were starting to increase across the country and in New York.

“We can’t be totally finite about this,” said Adams.

It appeared most passengers were aware the mandate was over, but a PA announcement over the loudspeaker still encouraged people to wear masks. Airport officials said on Monday, masks were no longer required.

Rich Crowley of Mt. Lebanon wasn’t wearing a mask while waiting in baggage claim. He said he wore one during his flight. Crowley said he flew on Southwest Airlines, and flight staff weren’t wearing masks.

He said he largely was indifferent to the mandate ending, but added that if covid cases were to increase rapidly again, he hoped they would revisit bringing back a mask mandate.

The view at Arnold Palmer Regional

At other airports across Western Pennsylvania, officials shared relief at not having to enforce the mandate anymore.

“I think it’s refreshing to a lot of people,” Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo said of the new mask-optional policy adopted by the Transportation Security Administration.

Enforcing the mask mandate that had been in place at the authority’s Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity “has been challenging at times,” Monzo said. “People are ready to move in a new direction.

“Hopefully, we won’t have any issues down the road. Whatever comes of it, we’ll deal with it accordingly.”

Monzo said the authority is prepared to pivot to comply with whatever guidance authorities provide regarding face coverings at airports.

In the meantime, he said, “People who want to take precautions are capable of doing that. Everybody will have to decide based on what affects them and what is important to them.

“We’ve gone to great lengths to increase the precautions we take. Those aren’t going to change. Hopefully, it benefits all of us.”

Spirit Airlines, the sole commercial carrier providing flights to and from the Arnold Palmer airport, announced that “face coverings are now optional for Spirit team members and guests aboard our flights following the federal court ruling and TSA guidance.”

Staff writer Jeff Himler contributed to this report.