SINGAPORE – Starting next Monday (August 29), passengers travelling on Singapore Airlines will no longer want to wear face coverings on some flights, as SIA joins other foreign airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic that have implemented policies since the previous year.
Only passengers traveling to or from destinations that require a face on flights will be required to wear one, SIA said in response to media questions.
Masks are also mandatory at Changi Airport.
Lately, countries are divided on their Covid-19 regulations. In Europe, Germany and Spain still require passengers to wear a mask, the Netherlands and the UK.
In Southeast Asia, all countries require Thailand mask. Australia asks for mask unlike New Zealand and Canada asks for mask unlike the United States.
The SIA said it will update its online page on adjustments to its mask dressed with regulations as they evolve, and for passengers to constantly check the latest version.
The airline’s policy update follows the latest government guidelines, which eliminate the need for masks in all indoor settings, public transportation, and health care services, such as hospitals.
Industry observers are mandated to eliminate the use of masks on airplanes. The maximum ventilation rate on planes means the threat of contracting Covid-19 on a flight is less than the threat from other activities, such as going to a shopping mall or running in an office, they said.
All SIA and Scoot aircraft are supplied with high-efficiency particulate filters (Hepa), which remove 99. 97% of microbes from the air, add viruses and bacteria, and cool cabin air every two to three minutes.
Other airlines that no longer impose masks on board are London-based EasyJet, Scandinavian Airlines, Dutch airline KLM and U. S. ultra-low-cost airline Avelo Airlines.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission is required for reproduction.