EU Will No Longer Recommend Masks for Air Travel


The European Union will no longer recommend that member states require face masks on planes and at airports, ending a guideline that has been in place for nearly two years as countries across the bloc lift Covid restrictions, two EU agencies announced on Wednesday.

“For passengers and aircrew, this is a big step forward in the normalization of air travel,” said Patrick Ky, executive director of the EU Aviation Safety Agency. joint statement with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

The decision is a result of current levels of vaccines and naturally acquired immunity, which has led to the lifting of restrictions in a growing number of European countries across the bloc, the statement said.

He added that the revised recommendations will come into effect on Monday, but mask-wearing rules may vary depending on airlines, adding that airlines must wear masks to and from places where masks are mandatory on public transport. Italy and Germany still do this; France has announced that it will lift the requirement from Monday.

In other cases, new EU guidelines said airlines should still encourage passengers to wear masks, but “respect others’ decision to wear or not wear masks”.

Mr Ky also said passengers coughing and sneezing should “strongly consider wearing face masks for the safety of those sitting nearby” and that vulnerable passengers should continue to wear masks.

The announcement recommends the use of masks at airports and on board planes to allow air travel to continue during the pandemic, relaxing guidance issued by EU agencies in May 2020.

Aviation safety agency spokeswoman Janet Northcote said in an email that agencies do not have the authority to mandate masks or other precautions, only make recommendations. He added that in the past two years, some member states have left the decision-making to planes and airports, and as a result, enforcement has been uneven.

Spokesperson Ilse Heemskerk said in an email that Dutch airline KLM switched from requiring masks on flights to the Netherlands on March 23 to “strongly recommend” masks. Some European airlines have made masks optional for passengers after a federal judge in Florida lifted the requirement for masks on airplanes last month. flights to the United States.

London’s Heathrow Airport has also removed the mask requirement at its terminals, while British Airways and Virgin Atlantic airlines have also made masks optional unless the destination requires them.



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