Ten 10 U.S. airline pilots are suing the CDC over the federal mask mandate, saying it encourages unruly behavior

A small group of pilots who work for major US airlines are suing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the recently extended federal transportation mask mandate.

The 10 pilots work for commercial airlines including JetBlue, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, according to the lawsuit.

In the filing, the pilots alleged that the CDC acted "without providing public notice or soliciting comment."

The mask mandate applies to public transportation, including commercial aircraft. On March 10 it was extended for 30 days, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The rule is set to remain in effect through at least April 18.

"This revised framework will be based on the COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science," the TSA said in a statement.

The pilots say in the suit they have "serious concerns about the safety implications" of the mask mandate in relation to unruly-passenger incidents caused by mask policies. ...

The pilots described 2021 as the "worst year on record for buffoonish behavior on planes" and blamed nearly all of the "chaos" on mask requirements. ...