In the latest move that signals the travel industry is looking to leave the pandemic very much behind it, some airlines are now starting to get rid of their mask mandates.
In fact, British airline Jet2, mostly known for its package holidays, has already dropped the requirement for passengers to wear masks. The new (lack of) rules applies to travellers from England and Northern Ireland, in line with local government guidance that also does not mandate mask-wearing.
Ryanair has also announced plans to drop mask-wearing rules on its planes. The budget airline’s CEO Michael O’Leary has said he hopes face coverings would be scrapped on its flights by the end of April.
It’s worth noting that the relaxing of mask requirements on flights does not apply to every airline in every destination. It currently only applies to Jet2 flights departing from England and Northern Ireland. Jet2 flights from Scotland still require passengers to wear masks, as do all other flights from UK airlines, from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to Tui. And of course, while you might not have to wear a mask on the flight, plenty of destinations still require mask-wearing in public places like airports.
So when could masks on planes be completely done for? Well, some experts have said that they could remain on some airlines for years, due to differences in mask rules in certain countries. In other words: don’t get your hopes up for a wholesale abandoning of face coverings just yet.
