The EU will remove the requirement to wear masks on planes from next week

Passengers line up at Heathrow Airport in London, England on April 14 – Photo: REUTERS

On May 11, AFP news agency quoted the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as announcing that they would remove the mandatory wearing regulations. gauze mask at the airport and on flights to Europe from May 16.

“As of next week, masks will no longer be required for air travel under any circumstances… For passengers and crew, this is a big step towards normalizing air travel. “, EASA chief executive officer Patrick Ky said.

“It’s a relief that we are finally getting to a stage where we can begin to relax our health and safety measures during the pandemic,” he added.

According to EASA, after May 16, the specific mask regulations will depend on each airline. EASA still recommends wearing masks on flights to or from places where mask wearing is still mandatory. In addition, vulnerable passengers with weak health are also advised to wear masks.

Meanwhile, ECDC director Andrea Ammon emphasized that even if wearing a mask is no longer mandatory, maintaining distance and washing hands is still one of the best measures to reduce infection.

The above announcement comes in the context of Italy, France, Bulgaria and a number of other European countries easing or ending most or all measures to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic. Previously, some US airlines also announced that they would not require masks from April 2022.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) based in Geneva, Switzerland welcomed the new EU guidance but acknowledged that the situation around the world remained complex.

Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, said: “Despite the European regulation coming into force next week, there is no consistent global approach to mask wearing on board.”