Many countries are removing restrictions on COVID-19 due to successful vaccination of the population and mild forms of the latest strains of the virus. In order to keep up with the rest of the world, Finnair has finally announced that it will no longer require masks to be worn on board.
From April 25, both passengers and crew members will be exempted from wearing masks on Finnair flights, unless required by the authorities of the country of destination or departure.
Those who wish to continue to wear a mask or respirator while traveling can naturally do so. “Aircraft is considered a low-risk environment for coronavirus transmission due to efficient air conditioning, thorough disinfection, and other factors. However, if you want to have extra protection for personal reasons, you can always wear an FFP2 or FFP3 mask — both provide excellent protection against viruses, even if others on board are not wearing masks, — Kimmo Ketola, Medical Director of Finnair, confirms.
Many countries still require masks to be worn on planes and other modes of transport. On such flights, both crew and customers are required to wear a mask throughout the entire flight. A list of these countries can be easily found on the Internet.
For example, it is mandatory to wear a mask on flights to and from Asia and, by the way, to most European destinations.