The European Union It will stop requiring the mandatory use of masks on planes and airports as of Monday, May 16the aviation safety agency reported this Wednesday, given the decrease in covid-19 cases in Europe.
“Starting next week, face masks will not be mandatory for air travel,” said the executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Patrick Ky, in a statement.
Ky noted that the lifting of this obligation is “a big step towards the normalization of air transport.”
The world’s main airline group, IATA, celebrated this new protocol stating that it gives travelers “the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask”, Willie Walsh, its CEO, said.
Passengers “can travel with peace of mind knowing that the many features of the aircraft cabin, such as the high frequency with which the air is changed and the high-efficiency filters, make this one of the safest places,” he said.
AESA noted however, that the face mask remains one of the best forms of protection against the transmission of covid-19, especially for vulnerable people.
The European entity also pointed out that the rules on masks “will continue to evolve after this date, depending on the airlines.”
For example, the use of a mask will be recommended for flights to or from a destination where its use is mandatory on public transport, the agency said in the statement.
In general terms, passengers “should behave responsibly and respect the decisions of those around them”, EASA stressed, noting that “a passenger who is coughing and sneezing should consider wearing a mask to reassure those sitting nearby.”
The European Union It will stop requiring the mandatory use of masks on planes and airports as of Monday, May 16the aviation safety agency reported this Wednesday, given the decrease in covid-19 cases in Europe.
“Starting next week, face masks will not be mandatory for air travel,” said the executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Patrick Ky, in a statement.
Ky noted that the lifting of this obligation is “a big step towards the normalization of air transport.”
The world’s main airline group, IATA, celebrated this new protocol stating that it gives travelers “the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask”, Willie Walsh, its CEO, said.
Passengers “can travel with peace of mind knowing that the many features of the aircraft cabin, such as the high frequency with which the air is changed and the high-efficiency filters, make this one of the safest places,” he said.
AESA noted however, that the face mask remains one of the best forms of protection against the transmission of covid-19, especially for vulnerable people.
The European entity also pointed out that the rules on masks “will continue to evolve after this date, depending on the airlines.”
For example, the use of a mask will be recommended for flights to or from a destination where its use is mandatory on public transport, the agency said in the statement.
In general terms, passengers “should behave responsibly and respect the decisions of those around them”, EASA stressed, noting that “a passenger who is coughing and sneezing should consider wearing a mask to reassure those sitting nearby.”
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