No more masks on planes from May 16th – Flight mask mandate scrapped by the EU

From May 16th, the EU flight mask mandate is lifted. You won’t have to wear a mask during your intra-european flights anymore. This news was announced on Wednesday by the European flight Safety Agenda (EASA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Update: Some countries want to stick to their mask policies despite the new EU recommendations. For example, Germany wants to keep the policy until September 2022. Always check with your airline whether the mask is mandatory during your flight. 

Key information:

• The flight mask mandate has been scrapped by the EU, the decision was announced by the EASA and the ECDC on Wednesday.
• From May 16th, European passengers are no longer required to wear face masks during flights.
• This decision is in line with the changing requirements of national authorities regarding public transport in Europe
• Every European country can impose wearing the mask during flights by themselves, if they wish. But they will most likely follow the EU guidelines from May 16th.
• There are still a few situations where the face mask is recommended

Do I still need to wear a face mask on a plane in Europe?

From May 16th, face masks are no longer required on intra-european flights. This decision is in line with the changing requirements of national authorities regarding public transport in Europe, according to EASA in their latest press release.

For some airlines, the end of the masks in aircrafts happened a few months ago already. This is the case for KLM and Transavia — both Dutch airlines — which stopped the mandate for wearing face masks during flights after the Dutch government decided to lift the public transporation mask mandate. 

In what situations should I still wear a face mask? 

Even if the decision has been made to remove the face masks recommandation, Covid-19 is still out there and the masks will not disappear completely. 

The EASA recommends that passengers suffering from flu-like symptoms, like sneezing or coughing, still wear a face mask as a precaution. 

Some countries of the European Union may require you to keep on wearing the face masks when travelling by plane. This is a decision that every country can take — but considering the current situation, it is most likely that all European countries will follow this EU mandate. 

Should I wear a face mask on flights to non-European destinations? 

This depends on the regulations in place in the countries outside of Europe. The face masks requirement on aircrafts has been lifted by the European Union but not across the globe. 

We recommend always checking with your airline prior to departure whether wearing a mask during a flight is mandatory.