The International Air Transport Association (IATA) – which represents 290 airlines in 117 countries comprising around 83% of global air traffic – has called for the end of face mask requirements for air travel. Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said:
The past few weeks have seen a dramatic shift by many governments around the world to ease or remove COVID-19-related travel restrictions and requirements as the disease enters its endemic phase. It’s vital that this process continue and even accelerate, to more quickly restore damaged global supply chains and enable people to resume their lives. One step to encourage a return to normality is to remove mask mandates for air travel. It makes no sense to continue to require masks on aeroplanes when they are no longer being required in shopping malls, theatres or offices. Aircraft are equipped with highly sophisticated hospital quality filtration systems and have much higher air flow and air exchange rates than most other indoor environments where mask mandates already have been removed.
Read more: Airline Trade Association Calls For End of Face Masks for Air Travel
