For several months now, the wearing of masks has been no longer mandatory at German airports. Passengers are required to wear FFP2 masks as soon as they board a plane to or from Germany.
The decision by the German Federal Cabinet to extend and even tighten the current rules requiring passengers to wear face masks on planes caused a clear misunderstanding of the German Airline Representatives Council. BARIG today brings together more than 100 national and international airlines. According to the new document, passengers on board an aircraft that either departs from or lands in Germany will be required to wear FFP2 masks.
BARIG Secretary General Michael Hoppe said: “The plan of the German federal government is not clear, there is no epidemiological basis for such a move. We appeal to the Federal Parliament and the Federal Council to reconsider this decision.
In most other countries, masks are not mandatory on board, they are simply recommended. In any case, an ordinary medical mask is enough, as was the case in Germany until now.
For several months now, masks have been no longer required at German airports. Therefore, it seems completely inconsistent that passengers are required to wear an FFP2 mask as soon as they board an aircraft to or from Germany. As a consequence, Germany will be placed at a deliberate disadvantage in the air travel market due to such unjustifiably strict regulations.
In addition, it has been proven that the risk of infection on airplanes is very low. This is largely facilitated by highly efficient HEPA filters and regular air exchange in the cabin. As recently as May 2022, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have already issued a clear recommendation to end the mandatory wearing of masks on aircraft.
And the last moment. The obligation to wear FFP2 masks can hardly be properly communicated to international travelers, as they have been exempted from such requirements for quite some time. “Passengers should be allowed to choose whether they want to wear an FFP2 or a medical mask for their protection during the flight.”