The move comes amid a rise in COVID cases in parts of the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has decided to extend the federal mask mandate for planes and trains, sources confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.
The current mandate was set to expire this coming Monday, April 18.
According to two people familiar with the decision, which was first reported by the AP, the decision would allow the CDC to monitor a recent uptick in cases.
Many of the nation’s airlines has pushed hard to have the government lift the mandate.
Last month, CEOs of all major U.S. airlines wrote to the administration to stop requiring masks on planes.
“It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do,” the business executives wrote.
The group said the burden of enforcing the mask mandate has fallen on their employees, saying, “This is not a function they are trained to perform and subjects them to daily challenges by frustrated customers. This in turn takes a toll on their own well-being.”
The number of unruly passengers on planes spiked during the pandemic. This year alone, the Federal Aviation Administration has received 1,150 reports of unruly passengers — 744 of which were related to face masks.
The head of the group that lobbies on behalf of all major U.S. airlines, doubled down on the call for getting rid of mask and pre-departure testing requirements.
“Neither restriction is currently supported by data and science in today’s public health environment,” Nick Calio, CEO of Airlines for America (A4A), said in a letter to administration officials.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile contributed to this report.