Major airlines were some of the first to update their rules after a federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate for public transportation across the U.S.
In the wake of the judge's decision on Monday, airlines United, Southwest, American, Alaska, Delta and JetBlue announced that effective immediately, masks would no longer be required on domestic flights.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recently extended the mandate until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus now responsible for the vast majority of U.S. cases. But the court decision put the mandate on hold.
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Videos posted to social media show flight passengers applauding, cheering and removing their masks at the moment the mandate was lifted. Watch the real-time reactions in the player above.
