The European Union will stop requiring the mandatory use of masks on planes and airports on Mondaygiven the decrease in covid-19 cases in Europe.
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“Starting next week, face masks will no longer be mandatory for air travel,” said Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in a statement.
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Ky noted that the lifting of this obligation is “a big step towards the normalization of air transport.”
The European agency pointed out, however, that the face mask remains one of the best forms of protection against the transmission of covid-19especially 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” and that airlines must adopt a “pragmatic” strategy.
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 a 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.”
Be “respectful”
The world’s leading airline group, Geneva-based IATA, celebrated this new protocol, stating that it gives travelers “the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask,” said Willie Walsh, its CEO.
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.
However, IATA admitted that in the international context the picture is more complex.
“Although the European protocol comes into force next week, there is no consistent global strategy regarding the use of masks on board aircraft,” Walsh said.
IATA indicated that airlines must comply with the regulations that apply to the route they are operating and that the crew will be informed about the regulations in force and that it is “critical” that passengers follow the instructions.
He also asked travelers to be “respectful” with the decisions of other people who use masks voluntarily.
This relaxation of health regulations comes at a time when travel is booming in Europeafter two years of activity reduced by the pandemic.
For this summer, the air traffic supervision body Eurocontrol expects the volume to return to a level equivalent to 95% of the activity of 2019, despite the effect
of the war in Ukraine, oil prices and inflation.
France eliminates the obligation to wear a mask in transport
This Wednesday, France announced that it will eliminate the obligation to use the mask on public transport on Mondayone of the last restrictions left by covid.
“As of May 16, the use of masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport,” said Health Minister Olivier Véran.
The official pointed out that the use is still recommended, but that the obligation “is not adapted” to the current situation of the pandemic in the face of the decrease in cases.
in the country.
France began to relax its strict strategy on the use of masks in February, after a spike in cases during the boreal winter and for weeks their use continued to be required in workplaces and schools, until a drop was recorded. most pronounced of infections.
AFP
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