The EU relaxes the recommendation to wear masks on the plane – but there are other things that apply in Germany
Created: 05/12/2022, 10:08 am
The European Aviation Safety Agency EASA and the EU health authority have decided not to recommend masks at airports and on planes.
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/dpa-tmn
Masks are gradually disappearing from everyday life in Germany.
On the plane, however, they should continue to be mandatory for the time being – even a relaxed EU guideline will not change that.
The responsible EU authorities have begun to relax guidelines on corona protection in aviation.
Among other things
, as of this Monday (May 16), a general recommendation to wear medical masks in airports and airplanes will no longer apply
, as announced by the European Aviation Safety Agency EASA and the EU Health Authority ECDC.
If there is a government obligation to wear masks in public transport at the point of departure or destination, this should also continue to apply on board the aircraft, according to the recommendation.
Masks are compulsory on planes on all domestic German routes
On request, the Federal Ministry of Health explained that the national authorities decide whether masks are compulsory on airplanes.
It therefore continues to apply to all domestic German routes and to flights that take off or land in Germany
.
According to this, FFP2 or medical masks must be worn when boarding and disembarking and throughout the flight.
You can only lose it by eating and drinking.
Children under the age of six are exempt from the obligation.
According to a report by Tagesschau, a Lufthansa spokeswoman also said that the airline would initially adhere to the mask requirement - it should therefore only fall when the German Infection Protection Act is amended accordingly.
In countries like Italy or France, the relevant corona measures have already been relaxed.
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From next week onwards, masks will no longer be mandatory in all cases, said EASA boss Patrick Ky.
For passengers and crews, this is a big step towards normalizing air traffic.
At the same time, the EU authorities emphasized that
wearing a mouth and nose protector is still one of the best protective measures against the transmission of the corona virus
.
According to the information, the reason for the easing is the latest developments in the pandemic.
These include, in particular, the number of vaccinations, the immunity created by infections and the associated lifting of restrictions in a growing number of European countries.
(dpa)