The move will leave Spain as the only EU country still requiring a mask to be worn onboard.
Germany is expected to remove the requirement to wear a mask onboard aircraft from its Infection Protection Act. The change will impact both domestic and international flights.
As part of the proposed policy, German Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, will retain the authority to reintroduce mask requirements if there is a sharp rise in cases. The country’s other COVID-19 health measures on masks and testing are expected to remain in place for the upcoming winter.
German flag carrier Lufthansa is one of the airlines that will be most impacted by the change. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
This significant change in policy will come as a surprise to many. Just last week the German Government announced plans to further tighten mask requirements, with N95 or FFP2-style masks being required from October 1st, 2022 onwards. The mask mandate was also expected to be extended through April 2023.
This was met with “sheer incomprehension” by the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG). BARIG represents more than 100 national and international airlines, and at the time, its Secretary General, Michael Hoppe, stated,
“The German Federal Government’s plan is not reasonable to us. There is no epidemiological basis for such a step.”
The change in policy means that airlines operating in Germany, such as leisure carrier Condor, will no longer have to enforce the use of masks onboard. Photo: Condor
The requirement to wear a mask in German airports was removed several months ago, and passengers have since been calling out the inconsistency in having to wear a mask on the aircraft, after having already been in the airport for several hours without one. They argued that thanks to their advanced HEPA filters, the air quality onboard the aircraft was superior to that in the airport.
As reported by German news channel WELT, Lauterbach pointed out that while masks would no longer be required onboard, they would still be recommended. He said,
“Vaccinations and masks remain the best protection against the expected Omicron wave. That’s why we use both. Therefore, masks should also be worn in doctors’ surgeries. As long as the pandemic situation allows it, however, the mask requirement will fall on the plane. However, the mask remains recommended there as well.”
An official announcement regarding the policy is expected later this week.
The German Government is expected to formally announce the removal of its mask mandate later this week. Photo: Oliver Roesler via Lufthansa
Fewer and fewer countries still have mask requirements onboard
Back in April 2022, the US dropped its blanket mandate for masks onboard aircraft. The EU did the same the following month, and the majority of member states have subsequently removed the requirement, most recently Portugal. Currently, Germany and Spain are the only EU countries that still require masks to be worn onboard.
This change in policy will likely come as good news to airlines, such as German flag carrier Lufthansa, and passengers alike. As it will soon be the only EU country still requiring masks to be worn onboard, it remains to be seen if Spain will follow suit over the coming weeks.
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