Airlines within the Lufthansa Group will allow passengers with health conditions to fly mask-free with a negative C0vid-19 test and a medical certificate from September 1.
Travellers must present a negative Covid-19 test taken no longer than 48 hours prior to departure to ensure “maximum safety” for other travellers.
The change is being made as Iata emphasised the need for passengers to comply following recent reports of travellers refusing to wear face coverings on flights, with some incidents turning violent.
The German group’s airlines introduced compulsory masks on board flights in early May as one of the first in the world to do so.
Exceptions to the rule were previously only possible with a medical certificate, which can be downloaded from the websites of carriers in the group.
“The new rules on the compulsory wearing of masks now ensure even better protection for all passengers,” Lufthansa Group said.
Group carriers, which include Austrian Airlines and Swiss, have introduced extensive hygiene measures on board and on the grounThe company is also in regular communications with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and national authorities “to promote the ongoing development and harmonisation of health standards in air transport during the corona pandemic”.
Austrian Airlines’ chief operating officer Jens Ritter said: “We have always emphasised that safety is our top priority, especially in the age of Covid-19, and a mask is the simplest and most effective protection against transmission.
“The majority of our passengers comply with the rules in an exemplary manner. With the current change, we are taking an additional step towards greater health protection on the aircraft.”
The group insists that the risk of contracting the virus on board of an aircraft is “very low”.
Cabins are equipped with filters that clean the air of contaminants such as dust, bacteria and viruses.
However, travellers are advised to check individual country’s current entry requirements and quarantine regulations before booking.