TSA agents at all the nation’s airports now have authority to enforce the no mask, no fly rule.
With the mask mandate now a federal order, the Department of Homeland Security gave enforcement authority to TSA employees at airports.
TSA can enforce it ‘at TSA screening checkpoints and throughout the commercial and public transportation system,’ it said.
As well as all forms of public transportation, masks are required in airports and other transport hubs.
It allows TSA officers to ‘accept the services of, provide services to, or otherwise cooperate with other federal agencies’ in enforcing it, said the department’s acting secretary, David Pekoske.
"Passengers without a mask may be denied entry, boarding, or continued transport. Failure to comply with the mask requirement can result in civil penalties," a TSA statement said.
"Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will not be permitted to enter the secure area of the airport, which includes the terminal and gate area."
It takes effect from early Tuesday 2 February.
Until now, airlines themselves had been managing compliancy of their own mask rules and have banned thousands of passengers who had refused to wear them on flights.
The deferral mandate was welcomed by Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastion, who recently said: "This adds a layer of protection for our people who have been integral in enforcing our mask policy."
Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor
