The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it hoped the joint decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, would mark “a big step forward in the normalization of air travel” for passengers and crews.
The European Union will no longer require masks to be worn at airports and on planes starting next week amid the easing of coronavirus restrictions across the bloc, authorities said Wednesday.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it hoped the joint decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, would mark “a big step forward in the normalization of air travel” for passengers and crews.
The new guideline “takes account of the latest developments in the pandemic, in particular the levels of vaccination and naturally acquired immunity, and the accompanying lifting of restrictions in a growing number of European countries,” the two agencies said in a joint statement.
“Passengers should however behave responsibly and respect the choices of others around them,” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said. “And a passenger who is coughing and sneezing should strongly consider wearing a face mask, for the reassurance of those seated nearby.”
While the new recommendations take effect on May 16, rules for masks may still vary by airline beyond that date if they fly to or from destinations where the rules are different.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control director Andrea Ammon said washing hands and social distancing should still be practiced, but airport operators are advised not to impose distancing requirements if these are likely to lead to a bottleneck.
The agencies also recommended that airlines keep systems for collecting passenger locator information on standby in case they are needed in future, for example if a new dangerous variant emerges.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
-
‘If Donald Trump gets back to Twitter’: Elon Musk agrees to these 3 scenarios
Twitter is divided over whether former US president Donald Trump should be allowed on the platform or not after his questionable role in inciting the violence in US Capitol on January 6. Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday said he would like to reverse the permanent ban on Donald Trump as according to him, the decision was stupid. What are these 3 scenarios? Donald Trump will not use Twitter.
-
India refutes speculative media reports on sending troops to Lanka
The Indian High Commission here on Wednesday categorically dismissed speculative media reports about New Delhi sending its troops to Colombo, saying India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery. It was reported that former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had left his office-cum-official residence, Temple Trees. “The Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated yesterday that India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery,” it said in another tweet.
-
China’s zero-Covid strategy unsustainable; need an urgent shift in policy: WHO
The World Health Organisation on Tuesday said that China’s ‘zero-Covid’ strategy to defeat the Covid-19 outbreak is unsustainable, and that it has asked Beijing to initiate a policy shift in order to tackle the surging caseload. The WHO’s statement comes amid belligerent Covid-19 outbreaks in Shanghai, Beijing and other provinces, which China has been attempting to control through lockdowns and mass tests. The WHO said these measures aren’t working.
-
Google to ban call-recording apps from Play Store starting May 11
In a move to enhance users’ safety and privacy, Google is implementing new Play Store policies to prevent third-party apps from using the Accessibility API. The changes and updates on its developer policies include that of Android’s accessibility settings to stop remote call audio recording, which is a popular feature among Android users. Previously it was Apple’s iPhone which did not offer its users the option for native call recording.