Federal judge ends requirement for face masks on flights in the United States

The mask requirement for travellers was the target of months of lobbying from the airlines

A federal judge has voided the rule for travellers to wear face masks on aircraft in the United States (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

A federal judge in Florida has voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of US health officials.

The decision on Monday by US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, in Tampa, also said the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking.