Europe drops masks requirement for air travel

As the summer season begins, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a significant update on health safety measures for air travel, paving the way for a relaxation of the need to wear medical masks on board a flight, but noting that a face mask is still one of the best protections against the transmission of Covid-19.The update of the joint Aviation Health Safety Protocol 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. In addition to the changes with respect to masks, its recommendations include a relaxation of the more stringent measures on airline operations, which will help relieve the burden on the industry whilst keeping appropriate measures in place.EASA executive director Patrick Ky said: “It is a relief to all of us that we are finally reaching a stage in the pandemic where we can start to relax the health safety measures.” “For many passengers, and aircrew members, there is a strong desire for masks to no longer be a mandatory part of air travel. We are now at the start of that process. Passengers should continue to comply with the requirements of their airline and, where preventive measures are optional, make responsible decisions and respect the choice of other passengers. In particular, a passenger who is coughing and sneezing should strongly consider wearing a face mask, for the reassurance of those seated nearby.” Explaining the decision, ECDC director Andrea Ammon said: “The development and continuous updates to the Aviation Health Safety Protocol in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have given travellers and aviation personnel better knowledge of the risks of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants” She did admit, however, that while risks do remain, Europe has seen that non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines have allowed our lives to begin to return to normal. “While mandatory mask-wearing in all situations is no longer recommended, it is important to be mindful that together with physical distancing and good hand hygiene, it is one of the best methods of reducing transmission. The rules and requirements of departure and destination states should be respected and applied consistently, and travel operators should take care to inform passengers of any required measures in a timely manner. The importance of these measures should continue to be effectively communicated to passengers for their safety, and ECDC will continue to work with our colleagues at EASA to regularly assess and amend the recommendations as necessary”, Ammon added. The new recommendations on the wearing of face masks are set to come into effect from May 16, 2022. However, rules for masks in particular will continue to vary by airline beyond that date. For example, flights to or from a destination where mask-wearing is still required on public transport should continue to encourage mask wearing, according to the recommendations. Vulnerable passengers should continue to wear a face mask regardless of the rules, ideally an FFP2/N95/KN95 type mask which offers a higher level of protection than a standard surgical mask.Passengers will continue to be encouraged to observe distancing measures in indoor areas, including at the airport, wherever possible. But airport operators will now be told to adopt a pragmatic approach to this: Such as to avoid imposing distancing requirements if these will very likely lead to a bottleneck in another location in the passenger journey, especially if they are not required at national or regional level in other similar settings.While many European Union states no longer require passengers to submit data through a passenger locator form, airlines have been advised that they should keep their data collection systems on standby so they could make this information available to public health authorities if needed, for example in the case where a new variant of concern emerged which was identified as potentially more dangerous.“New VOCs are frequently discovered with varied degrees of immunity escape and severity of symptoms,” the document said. “Airport staff, crew members and passengers should be alert and follow the recommendations and requirements of the national authorities of the state or region they are visiting.”In more European travel news, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues (and European nations move away from energy reliance on Russia) several European Union member countries are holding talks with Gulf states to secure additional oil and liquefied natural gas. As part of negotiations, travel and market access is continuing to play a role. Oman — often described as the most diplomatic Gulf state, or the “Switzerland of the Middle East” has told the EU it can help with supply but wants visa-free travel in the Schengen area for Omani citizens in exchange. Under the current rules, Omani visitors to Europe are required to obtain a Schengen visa from one EU member country before travel. Schengen visa costs about €60 for GCC nationals for a short stay visa (90 days). Gulf nationals must apply to EU state's embassy or consulate, and all first-time visa applicants need to go in person for fingerprint taking. In some individual cases, an interview is required in the process of examination of the application.The suggestion is likely to be supported by Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who will visit Iran this week before travelling to Europe as part of a diplomatic push to revive a current slowdown in talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal and discuss selling more natural gas to European nations.