Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Europe

EU lifts mask requirement for air travel as pandemic ebbs

The joint decision was made by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Associated Press
Published
close
Fox News Flash top headlines for May 10 Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for May 10

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

The European Union will no longer require masks to be worn at airports and on planes starting next week amid the easing of coronavirus restrictions across the bloc, authorities said Wednesday.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it hoped the joint decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, would mark "a big step forward in the normalization of air travel" for passengers and crews.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS MASK MANDATE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The new guideline "takes account of the latest developments in the pandemic, in particular the levels of vaccination and naturally acquired immunity, and the accompanying lifting of restrictions in a growing number of European countries," the two agencies said in a joint statement.

"Passengers should however behave responsibly and respect the choices of others around them," EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said. "And a passenger who is coughing and sneezing should strongly consider wearing a face mask, for the reassurance of those seated nearby."

FILE - In this May 28, 2020, file photo, a passenger wears personal protective equipment on a Delta Airlines flight after landing in Minneapolis, United States of America. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said Wednesday that from next week onward it is no longer recommending the use of medical masks at airports and on planes due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

FILE - In this May 28, 2020, file photo, a passenger wears personal protective equipment on a Delta Airlines flight after landing in Minneapolis, United States of America. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said Wednesday that from next week onward it is no longer recommending the use of medical masks at airports and on planes due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) (AP)

While the new recommendations take effect on May 16, rules for masks may still vary by airline beyond that date if they fly to or from destinations where the rules are different.

CDC ASKS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO PROCEED WITH MASK MANDATE APPEAL

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control director Andrea Ammon said washing hands and social distancing should still be practiced, but airport operators are advised not to impose distancing requirements if these are likely to lead to a bottleneck.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The agencies also recommended that airlines keep systems for collecting passenger locator information on standby in case they are needed in future, for example if a new dangerous variant emerges.