Jet2 Becomes First Major Airline to Drop Mask Requirement

Jet2 has become the first major airline to drop the requirement for passengers to wear masks on its planes. The Times has more.

The budget airline quietly relaxed its rules today, telling passengers flying to and from airports in England and Northern Ireland that a mask is no longer mandatory.

A spokesman said: “It’s no longer a legal requirement to wear a facemask at our airports or onboard our planes. However, as per U.K. government guidance, we recommend that you continue to wear a facemask in these spaces, and you will need to wear one when you get to your overseas destination.”

Passengers will be told to put on their mask for descent and landing and will also be required to wear it in foreign airports and on transfers to resorts.

Holidaymakers over the age of six flying to and from Scottish airports will still need to wear face coverings onboard and on the ground.

Jet2 is Britain’s second-biggest tour operator and the move is understood to have come as a surprise to other UK carriers that still insist on masks being worn.

All other British airlines are following guidelines from bodies including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which say that masks should be worn for the duration of flights, except when eating and drinking.

Worth reading in full.

Well done to Jet2, but it’s worth noting that not all airlines are enforcing their mask mandates. When I flew to Mexico City recently on British Airways, a mask didn’t touch my face and at no point during the flight did a member of BA staff – or a fellow passenger – tell me to put one on. Indeed, the only time a flight attendant mentioned it was when I was disembarking in Mexico. “You might want to put on a mask,” he said as I stepped out of the plane. “They can be a bit funny about it here.”