U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Michel’s ruling in Tampa, appointed by former President Donald Trump on Monday, also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrongly justified its decision and did not follow through.
In its 59-page decision, Mizelle said the only solution was to evacuate the rule entirely across the country, as it would be impossible to quit for the limited group of people who opposed the lawsuit.
The judge said that “a limited treatment would not be a cure at all” and that the courts have full power to make such a decision – even if the CDC’s anti-virus targets are commendable.
“Because our system does not allow the services to act illegally even for the pursuit of desirable purposes, the court declares it illegal and cancels the mask order,” he wrote.
The justice ministry declined to comment Monday when asked if the government plans to appeal the ruling.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron de Sandis, who was not directly involved in the case but has fought against many government demands for the coronavirus, praised the decision in a statement on Twitter.
“It’s wonderful to see a federal judge in Florida follow the law and reject Biden’s order for the mask.  “Both the airline staff and the passengers deserve to have this miserable end,” DeSantis wrote on Twitter.
The CDC recently extended the mask mandate, which was due to expire on Monday, May 3, to allow more time to study the coronavirus BA.2 omicron subtype, which is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in the United States.
The demand for a mask for travelers was the goal of months of lobbying by airlines, which tried to kill it.  Air carriers have argued that effective air filters in modern airplanes make transmitting the virus during a flight extremely unlikely.  Republicans in Congress also fought to kill the mandate.
Critics have hailed the fact that states have withdrawn rules requiring masks in restaurants, shops and other indoor areas, and yet COVID-19 cases have dropped sharply since the Omicron variant peaked in mid-January.
There have been a number of violent incidents on aircraft that have been attributed mainly to disagreements over mask use requirements.
The lawsuit was filed in July 2021 by two plaintiffs and the Health Freedom Defense Fund, described in the judge’s order as a non-profit group that “opposes laws and regulations that force individuals to manage medical products, procedures and devices despite their will. “
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Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this story from Washington.