CHARLOTTE — Maskless travel at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and on other public transportation across the city, county and state may be short-lived.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Justice announced that it will appeal a federal judge’s decision from earlier this week to void the mask mandate.
After 48 hours of airlines, cities and TSA removing their mask enforcement, a confusing situation awaits travelers and airport workers.
Channel 9′s Glenn Counts said airport workers told him the vast majority of travelers to come through Charlotte Douglas in the last two days have done so without a mask on.
Now they might have to go back to masking.
“Well, there is politics involved,” said passenger Scott Weinstein.
Weinstein, a dentist, was traveling to Florida when he spoke to Channel 9. He said he believes in masking and also thinks airplanes are a safe environment.
[ READ MORE: CATS joins TSA in no longer enforcing federal mask mandate ]
“Well, you are in a close proximity to someone, but the best filtration systems are on planes except for (hospital) operating rooms,” Weinstein said.
Ayesha Sadaf was heading to San Diego on Wednesday night. She thinks the Biden administration should drop the matter and not appeal.
“I personally don’t like to wear because I think we need to develop our immunity,” she said. “It’s their decision, I wouldn’t say it’s a mistake, but if it was me, I wouldn’t.”
Since the Florida judge’s ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its bounds, all major airlines and Charlotte Douglas airport made masks optional.
Passenger Patrick Rizzieri said he feels comfortable flying without a mask.
“Yeah definitely, definitely, I can go to work without wearing a mask,” Rizzieri told Channel 9.
Laju Bajah is a pharmacist who just returned to Charlotte. She thinks the mandate should be reinstated.
“I give immunizations in the pharmacy, so I know how important it is to wear the mask and to see how it has protected us health care workers out there,” she said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how fast an appeal can be filed. That’s relevant, because the mask mandate would’ve expired in early May anyway.
An Associated Press poll found a majority of Americans want to see people traveling with masks on.
Of people surveyed, 56% are in favor of mask requirements on public transit. The poll showed 24% of people are against the mandate and 20% do not have an opinion.
(WATCH BELOW: Florida judge voids mask mandate for planes, other travel)
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