Masking now optional at Shreveport Regional Airport, SporTran

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - The Shreveport Regional Airport says wearing masks in the airport is now optional.

The decision comes after a federal judge in Florida ruled the 14-month-old rule unlawful, forcing the Biden administration to overturn the mandatory mask mandate.

Mark Crawford with the Shreveport Regional Airport said TSA is no longer enforcing at their checkpoints.

“Some people are not wearing masks and on the flip side, we’ve heard from numerous passengers over the last year and a half where they were choosing not to travel when being required to wear a mask. So, now that they are potentially not going to be required to do that, we anticipate more people will fly now,” he said.

KSLA spoke to travelers at the Shreveport airport on Tuesday, April 19. Some say they will still choose to wear a mask.

“I think it’s too soon I think we need to wait to see how things pan out,” Phylis Billups said.

Others say they are glad it’s not a requirement.

“It’s kind of annoying to have it on your face when you travel and when you eat. They give you snacks and you gotta take it on and off. They are very specific,” Denisce Glacock said.

The CDC reports say there are more than 80,000 new COVID-19 cases across the United States.

The new travel mask mandate rule also applies to those who ride buses like SporTran. They announced earlier today that they are also dropping the mask mandate for riders.

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