The Dutch and European advice to wear face masks on airplanes and at airports has expired. That’s what the European health institution ECDCEuropean Aviation Authority EASA and Minister of Public health Ernst Kuipers (D66) announced on Wednesday.
The current high European immunity rate, achieved through vaccinations and infections, allow the relaxation, according to ECDC and EASA. According to the RIVM, it has “no added value” to maintain a mask obligation on airplanes and airports “from the perspective of the Dutch epidemiological situation”.
It is up to airlines and airports to comply with the adjustment of their own mask obligation for travelers. KLM and Transavia, among others, have previously announced that they will not enforce the mask obligation, but that they will still strongly advise travelers to wear the face masks. With the adjusted advice, one of the last corona measures that were still maintained potentially expires; As of March 23, most other measures have already been abolished, such as the mouth cap obligation in public transport.
Vulnerable travelers are still advised to continue wearing a face mask. The advice also continues to apply to travelers who cough and sniffle, or those who fly to or from a destination where the mask obligation still applies in public transport. Aviation authority EASA calls the relaxed advice a “relief for all of us”.