North Texans react to airlines/airports dropping mask mandates

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Jim Holley walked into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Tuesday morning maskless for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

"Sitting in an airplane with a mask on was really kind of frustrating so I'm so glad that they're gone," he said.  

Holley is one of thousands who ditched their face masks after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it will no longer enforce the mask mandate in airports. 

"It makes things a lot faster and more efficient so hopefully everything's gone away, and we will be safe," passenger Wade Waggoner said.  

The mandate had been set to expire Monday, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced last week that it would keep it in place until May 3 to allow more time to study the latest COVID variant.  

The mask requirements had been extended several times, despite repeated requests from airlines and other travel industry officials to ease restrictions but this time a federal judge in Florida blocked the mandate, calling it unlawful. 

The CDC still recommends wearing a face covering if you're traveling on a train, bus, or the airport something many passengers like Elvia Mendiola say they will continue to do. 

"Everybody is still getting sick, there's still cases," she said. "I'm going to try to protect myself as much as i can and others as well of course." 

Policies vary but so far, airlines including American, Southwest, Delta, United and Alaska have decided to do away with the mask mandate.