The days of wearing a mask at airports and on board flights are coming to an end, after Heathrow today (March 15) dropped its face covering requirement.
The announcement was welcomed by Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, who have each signalled they will also be revising their rules.
From March 15, masks at Heathrow Airport are no longer mandatory, although the airport still encourages people to wear one, “particularly when coming into close contact with others.”
The UK’s biggest airport said that masks would remain available at the airport for anyone who wishes to wear one.
In response, British Airways’ chief operating officer Jason Mahoney said: “We welcome this as a really positive step forward. As an international airline we fly to a large number of countries around the world, all of which have their own local restrictions and legal requirements.
“We’re working through these and from March 16, customers will only be required to wear a face covering on board our flights if the destination they’re travelling to requires it.”
Virgin Atlantic confirmed that it would gradually introduce an optional mask policy on its flights, beginning with Caribbean services from Heathrow and Manchester airports.
This comes after Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary announced in early March that he expected masks would be dropped by the end of May.
“I’d like to see it come to an end maybe by the end of April, [or] at the end of May. We are consulting with cabin crew as well at the moment. We want to know how they feel. The key issue for us is that people are comfortable to go back on board our aircraft,” he said.
So which airlines have announced they will be dropping face masks? And which UK airports have gone mask-free? Here’s everything you need to know.
Which airlines have dropped face masks?
British Airways
From March 16, British Airways customers will only need to wear a face covering if their destination requires it.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic says it will be “gradually” removing compulsory mask rules from March 16, starting with some Caribbean flights from London and Manchester.
Ryanair
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has said he hopes to scrap face masks by the end of April or in May.
Jet2
Jet2 was the first UK airline to remove the requirement for passengers to wear masks on board. However, they remind passengers to bring a mask if their destination requires one.
EasyJet
easyJet passengers must still wear masks on board, but a spokesperson said this policy is constantly under review.
Tui
Tui has dropped masks on board, although they “strongly recommend” that you wear one.
Loganair
The regional airline has not dropped masks on board, but says the policy remains under review.
Which airports have dropped face masks?
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow has dropped the requirement to wear face masks, although it is still strongly required. The ‘at the airport’ page says: “We strongly recommend you wear a face covering when at the airport. There may be times when we ask you to lower your face covering for security checks and when passing through the Border Force eGates. Our colleagues will be on hand to guide you. ”
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick’s customer service page says: “All passengers and staff must wear a face covering unless there is a medical reason not to.”
Luton Airport
Luton Airport says: “Passengers are required to wear a face covering (unless exempt) while inside the terminal and maintain a safe social distance wherever possible. All other health protection measures will remain in place.”
Stansted Airport
Stansted Airport says: “London Stansted Airport strongly recommends the wearing of face coverings in all areas of the terminal building.”
Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport’s Covid-19 advice page says: “Manchester Airport strongly recommends the wearing of face coverings in all parts of the airport campus, including on airport buses, so please bring a face covering with you.”
Birmingham Airport
Birmingham Airport’s customer service page says: “In order to protect our staff and to ensure that they feel safe in their role it is mandatory for all customers/passengers to wear a face covering in security, on all buses (landside and airside) and immigration. Children/people with disabilities including hidden disabilities may be exempt”
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport says: “Our staff will be wearing face coverings in passenger facing areas, and passengers should ensure they are also wearing masks unless exempt.”
Are masks still required overseas?
Many overseas countries still require face masks indoors, so you will need to bring a face covering in order to disembark your flight and enter your destination’s airport without any problems.
Among those to have scrapped masks are Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. You can check our country-by-country advice page to see where face masks are still mandatory.
Will flying be safe without masks?
There are arguments that planes are safer than most indoor environments, when it comes to the risks of catching Covid. Thanks to their hospital-grade HEP (high-efficiency particulate) filters, the air inside a plane cabin is changed more than 25 times an hour; a system that removes 99.97 per cent of airborne viruses and bacteria, states the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
David Livermore, Professor of Medical Microbiology at UEA, told the Telegraph: “The evidence that masks make any real difference to the spread of Covid is scant. Yet many countries cling to the notion that masks prevent infection. I suspect they’ll linger uselessly through this year in many jurisdictions.”
Francois Balloux, director of the UCL Genetics Institute, agreed that masks would remain on planes as part of the Covid ‘hangover’, adding: “While it’s hard to see what such a measure can realistically achieve at this stage, one could say the same about aviation’s 100ml liquid rule, which has been in force for 15 years now.”
Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph’s Science Editor, concurred: “I wouldn’t be surprised to see [some] airlines continue with masks throughout this year to make passengers feel safer, although there is little evidence they do much good on planes.”
