The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have issued an update to the health safety measures for air travel.
These pave 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.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, they said that the new recommendations on the wearing of face masks are set to come into effect from the 16th of May. 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.
They also noted that 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.
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 still keeping appropriate measures in place.
The update also notes that passengers are encouraged to observe distancing measures in indoor areas, including at the airport, wherever possible.
But, it said that airport operators should adopt a `pragmatic approach” to this: for example, they should 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.
The document explained that while many states no longer require passengers to submit data through a passenger locator form, airlines 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 (VOC) 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.”
For further details, please consult the full text of the protocol [1]