Jet2 becomes first major airline to drop face mask rules on flights

The low-cost British carrier has made mask-wearing optional on some flights

Budget carrier Jet2 is thought to be the first major airline to drop face mask rules for passengers. Reuters

Passengers flying to England and Northern Ireland with Jet2 no longer need to wear masks when travelling. The low-cost airline has dropped its rules for mandatory face coverings amid a relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions and measures across the UK and worldwide.

“It’s no longer a legal requirement to wear a face mask at our airports or onboard our planes,” the airline said on its website. “However, as per UK Government guidance, we recommend that you continue to wear a face mask in these spaces, and you will need to wear one when you get to your overseas destination.”

Flying from 10 hubs in the UK to more than 60 holiday spots across Europe, the budget carrier is thought to be the first major airline to drop face mask rules for passengers.

Masks still necessary on all flights to Scotland

On flights to Scotland, where local regulations mean face masks remain compulsory for all travellers, passengers on Jet2 flights must continue to don the protective face gear.

Anyone who is unable to wear a mask because of health reasons needs to notify the airline in advance if flying to Glasgow or Edinburgh. Jet2 also advised travellers to ensure they are up to date with the latest government guidelines for their destination before flying.

Will face masks for travel soon be obsolete?

Travellers in the US may be next in line to ditch face masks when flying.

A mandate requiring people to wear masks at airports and on planes, trains and buses is set to expire on March 18, more than a year after it was first implemented.

The Transportation Security Administration has amended the requirement several times before. But so far, no new plans have been made to extend the rule beyond its current expiry.

In the UAE, where Covid-19 rules were recently relaxed to allow people to go outside without wearing a face mask for the first time in more than two years, travellers must continue to wear masks when flying. Face masks remain mandatory on all flights to the UAE, including Etihad or Emirates, the country's largest airlines.