Anish Vij
Jet2 has become the first major airline that's dropped the requirement for wearing face masks on its planes.
It's being said that the budget airline has quietly relaxed its rules by informing passengers that a mask is no longer mandatory to and from airports England and Northern Ireland, reports The Times.
"It’s no longer a legal requirement to wear a facemask at our airports or onboard our planes," a spokesman reportedly told the publication.
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They added: "However, as per UK 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."
It's being reported that Jet2 changed their policy that previously required passengers to wear masks for landing.
However, now it seems masks may only need to be worn when disembarking abroad from foreign airports and on transfers to resorts.
In Scotland, the previous set of rules still apply as passengers over the age of six that are flying to and from Scottish airports will still need to wear masks on and off the plane.
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Despite Jet2 potentially being the first to adopt the no-mask policy, other airlines seem to have stayed firm on their stance.
In January, Neil Sorahan, Ryanair’s chief financial officer, had no plans to change the rules.
He said: "Masks will be something that will be with us for a while longer to come. If that is the price we have to pay for the next few months, into summer, it’s a small price to pay."
A senior airline source told The Times: “It’s a bit easier for Jet2 as they don’t operate worldwide.
“For carriers that offer the US, for example, such a move would be harder as the rules there are very clear, they must be worn.”
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Last month, a senior aviation source also told Sky News: "Until there is a harmonised lifting of mask mandates on flights by governments worldwide it is simpler for airlines to keep the rules in place."
Virgin Atlantic, via a statement, echoed those thoughts.
The statement read: "We continue to input to the regulators and work together across industry to see when changes can be made, however until further notice, we will require all customers and crew to continue to wear face masks for the duration of their flights, as well as at the airports."