Since April 20th, Spain has eliminated the mandatory use of masks indoors but with some restrictions such as health centers, social-health centers (pharmacies, residences, dental clinics…) and public transport, including air, land (cabs, buses, VTC…) and maritime transport.
As published today in the Official State Bulletin (BOE), “the obligation is therefore maintained in air, rail or cable transport, on public passenger transport and in the enclosed spaces of ships and boats, when the safety distance cannot be maintained. However, it has been considered that this obligation to wear a mask should not be maintained for passenger platforms and stations”.
Thus, from now on it is no longer necessary to wear a facemask at airports. However, a young woman from Ibiza who was traveling today from Ibiza to Valencia with Iberia explains to Diario de Ibiza that at the local airport there was a lot of confusion. Some employees asked her to put it on while others assured her that it was no longer necessary. In fact, she confirms that at the hand luggage security check a female employee was not wearing one.
The confusion over whether or not to wear a mask on flights is logical, as it largely depends on the nationality of the airline.
Which airlines require a mask?
For example, British Airways eliminated the use of facemasks on its flights in March and its website states: “If you are travelling on our flights, you will be required to wear a mask on board if the destination you are flying to or from requires you to and you will be required to wear a mask to disembark the aircraft, and at your arrival airport, if the destination you are flying to requires it”. The logical deduction is that if it is no longer necessary to wear a mask at Spanish airports, if we travel on a BA plane from Ibiza to London (or vice versa) it would not be necessary to wear one.
Quite a different matter for domestic flights, which are governed by domestic regulations regardless of the nationality of the airline.
Iberia has informed Diario de Ibiza that a mask will continue to be mandatory on all flights, but not in the queues for boarding. It must be put on before boarding the bus that sometimes takes us to the aircraft or at the time of boarding. As is the case of Ryanair that, following the guidelines of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), has decided to keep the mask on all its flights for the moment.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.