Europe plans to drop mandatory mask requirements for air travel next week

Face masks are set to be no longer mandatory in airports and on flights in Europe, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Wednesday.

The new recommendations will come into effect from May 16, 2022.

“From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements of national authorities across Europe for public transport,” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said in a statement. [Reuters]