Federal Mask Mandate Extended by a Month
The TSA announced that the federal requirement for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains, buses, and in airports and train stations will be extended for one month to April 18.
The CDC says it will work with other government agencies to “help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor.” We assume a revised framework means they’ll just force people in Basic Economy and middle seats to wear masks as punishment.
The mandate was previously set to expire next week, on March 19. This extension of one month is the shortest extension since the mandate began.
The first mandate from the federal government, implemented last January when President Biden took office was first set to expire in September. It was then extended to January, until the most recent extension took us from March to April.
Frontier’s Newest Frontiers: Two New Destinations, 27 New Routes
Frontier Airlines is growing again, adding two international destinations to its route map in addition to 27 new nonstop routes across North America.
Two Mexican cities will join the Frontier family – Guadalajara (GDL) and Monterrey (MTY) – with its domestic expansion highlighted by eight new routes from Raleigh-Durham. Both Mexican destinations will launch with service to Las Vegas – GDL will launch on May 20 with 2x-weekly service, while MTY will begin June 2 with 3x-weekly flights.
RDU’s eight new nonstops are:
- Islip (3x-weekly beginning April 28)
- Providence (4x-weekly, beginning April 28)
- Syracuse (3x-weekly, beginning April 28)
- Indianapolis (2x-weekly, beginning May 26)
- Cincinnati (3x-weekly, beginning May 26)
- New York/SWF (2x-weekly, beginning May 26)
- Detroit (3x-weekly, beginning May 27)
- New Orleans (3x-weekly, beginning May 27)
Philadelphia is adding five new nonstop destinations, Denver is adding four, Atlanta three, and Dallas is adding one. Houston/IAH and Tampa are both adding sub-daily service to Cancun beginning May 27, while Las Vegas adds 2x-weekly flights to Albuquerque in addition to its two Mexican additions. We expect most of these routes to operate for at least a short time before Frontier changes its minds and cancels them.
United to Allow Most Unvaccinated Staff to Return
United Airlines employees who are not vaccinated but received a religious or medical exemption from the airline will be permitted to return to work by the end of this month.
The change will apply to approximately 2,200 staff who were granted exemptions. United had less than 200 employees who refused the vaccine without an exemption and they have been fired by the carrier. United said all along it would allow its exempt, unavaccinated staff to return to work once cases dipped and transmission of the virus went down, and it’s making good on that promise.
Unvaccinated staff had been kept home from work for nearly five months since UA’s vaccinated deadline came last November. The carrier has reserved the right to transfer these employees to a non-customer facing role if there is another surge of the virus. It also says it considered transferring all 200 to be based at Newark as a punitive measure for being unvaccinated, but eventually held off – for now.
- Amerijet is adding six six B 757-200 freighters.
- Avelo is adding Spokane from Burbank.
- DHL Express placed an order for six B777 freighters.
- Fly Jinnah unveiled its new brand and livery.
- FlyBig is attempting to live up to its name as it explores leasing as many as 36 additional aircraft.
- Kenya Airways expects to have extra money to burn by 2025, so it designated then as its goal to begin eVTOL testing.
- SAS signed an agreement with Apollo for charter flights within Scandinavia this summer.
- Singapore will operated five B777 freighters on behalf of DHL.
- Star Air of Denmark is looking to start a new subsidiary.
These days, Taco Bell is the only place left where you can get gas for $1.29.