Cologne, May 11, (dpa/GNA) – The recommendation to wear masks in airports and on aircraft will be dropped starting next week, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the EU health authority ECDC said on Wednesday, as Covid restrictions for European travellers relax.
For passengers and crew members, the move represented a big step towards normalizing air travel, said EASA chief Patrick Ky, welcoming the fact that, from Monday, masks would no longer be compulsory on European flights.
However, under the new guidelines, if there’s a requirement to wear masks on public transport at the point of departure or arrival, the same rule is to apply onboard planes, as national authorities decide on mask mandates in Europe.
In Germany, a mask mandate remains in place for planes and long-distance trains until September 23, while in France, the mask requirement for public transport will end at the beginning of next week, Health Minister Olivier Véran has announced.
At the same time, the authorities said that wearing a mask remains one of the best methods to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said mask requirements onboard aircraft, where highly efficient filters constantly clean the cabin air, should end when masks are no longer mandatory in other areas of daily life, such as at the theatre, the office or on public transport.
The relaxation comes as the effects of the pandemic continue to recede, due in particular to high vaccination rates, herd immunity and the continued lifting of restrictions in a growing number of European states.
GNA