PROPERTY SEARCH
ARCHIVED - Airlines believe masks on flights could remain in place for years
Ryanair says masks are a “small price to pay” to ensure international travel remains open
With most European countries easing Covid restrictions as the sixth wave begins to abate, Spain has taken the decision this week to extend the rule demanding that face masks be worn not only indoors, but in outdoor public spaces also. Spain has had some of the toughest mask requirements throughout the pandemic, and now it seems that their use on flights is also here to stay.
Several airline sources around the globe have indicated that masks will continue to be mandatory on planes until there is “international consistency” on the measure, with carriers unwilling to scrap the restriction unless a common consensus is reached.
"Until there is a harmonised lifting of mask mandates on flights by governments worldwide it is simpler for airlines to keep the rules in place," a spokesperson from one airline said, adding that when the rules are changed, companies will “act as one.”
Generally speaking, airlines in Spain and much of Europe follow the guidelines set by the likes of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, who stipulate that masks should be worn at all times on flights, except when the passenger is eating or drinking.
According to Neil Sorohan, Ryanair’s CFO: "Masks will be something that will be with us for a while longer to come. If that is the price we have to pay for the next few months, into summer - it's a small price to pay."
Another airline source said that although there were "hopes that one day we will have a world with no masks… they are going to be with us for a long time".
Image: Archive
Read more about Coronavirus:
OR
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin to get a comprehensive email with all the week’s news for Spain, Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía.
Get a sneak peek – here are a few of our recent Subscription Bulletins:
50% Discount Special Offer subscription:
24.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
