It is noted, however, that a face mask “is still one of the best protections against the transmission of Covid”.
Face masks will no longer be mandatory in airports and on board flights in Europe.
The update comes from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Wednesday (11 May).
The new recommendation takes the current state of the pandemic into account, including vaccination levels, herd immunity, and the lifting of restrictions across Europe.
“From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements of national authorities across Europe for public transport,” said EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky.
“For passengers and air crews, this is a big step forward in the normalisation of air travel.
“Passengers should, however, behave responsibly and respect the choices of others around them.
“And a passenger who is coughing and sneezing should strongly consider wearing a face mask, for the reassurance of those seated nearby.”
The new recommendations are set to come into effect from next Monday (16 May) onwards.
“The development and continuous updates to the Aviation Health Safety Protocol in light of the ongoing Covid pandemic have given travellers and aviation personnel better knowledge of the risks of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants,” said ECDC Director Andrea Ammon.
“While risks do remain, we have seen that non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines have allowed our lives to begin to return to normal.
“While mandatory mask-wearing in all situations is no longer recommended, it is important to be mindful that together with physical distancing and good hand hygiene it is one of the best methods of reducing transmission.
“The rules and requirements of departure and destination States should be respected and applied consistently, and travel operators should take care to inform passengers of any required measures in a timely manner.
“The importance of these measures should continue to be effectively communicated to passengers for their safety, and ECDC will continue to work with our colleagues at EASA to regularly assess and amend the recommendations as necessary.”
While the recommendation will come into effect, rules for masks will still vary from airline to airline beyond that date.
An example provided includes mask-wearing remaining on flights to or from destinations that continue to enforce mandatory mask-wearing on public transport.
Vulnerable passengers are also being recommended to continue wearing face masks regardless of the rules, in particular a FFP2/N95/KN95 type mask.
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