From tomorrow, no more masks will be required on board Brussels Airlines | Instagram news VTM

It is no longer necessary to wear a mouth mask at the airport. “The experience has now extended to the aircraft itself,” says Brussels Airlines. Spokesperson Kim Dainen says the fact that the mouth mask only had to be put on after leaving the gate resulted in an “inconsistency”. In addition, it was not clear to staff to maintain the mouth mask requirements once passengers had boarded the plane. Thus removing the mouth mask on the plane should bring “more comfort”.

In Belgium, wearing a mouth mask from the age of twelve is mandatory on public transport, and therefore on train, tram, bus and metro. However, Brussels Airlines does not fall into this category, according to the airline. Dainen notes, of course, that “passengers and staff are free to wear mouth masks” if they wish. A mouth mask may also remain mandatory at foreign airports. So travelers should check the rules of the destination country before departure.

Brussels Airlines is not the first airline to introduce a mouth mask. The obligation for mouth masks still applies to Ryanair flights, but a mouth mask is no longer mandatory for TUI flights to and from Belgium, but is recommended, as stated on the website. “This has actually been the case for us for a few weeks now,” confirms spokesperson Pete Demir. “Where we maintain a mouth mask obligation, it is on flights to France and Spain. The mouth mask obligation is still in effect at those destinations, so we want to create a situation that is as clear as possible for the traveler.

In April, the five largest US airlines dropped masks on domestic and some foreign flights after a judge lifted the mask requirement on public transportation. The US Department of Justice said it would appeal the decision.

This is how American passengers reacted to the lifting of the ban on mouth masks