Mask Mandates on Aircraft?

[FlyingKangaroo]

i think it is time for Canada to rejoin the many countries of the world in the removing of compulsory masking in flights... I of course respect the wishes of those who still want to use it, but now it should be personal choice rather than government mandates

100%. I lived there for a few years (even managed to score a passport), and have a soft spot for the country that keeps me in touch with friends and paying attention to what's happening up there.

My impression from here during 2020/2021 was that Canada's pandemic response (much like their identity of what it means to be Canadian generally) was heavily influenced by the cultural/social/political differences they perceive between themselves and the US. Whereas the US fought with itself internally along party lines over restrictions and masks, Canada took a more united approach internally (barring some spats between provinces), but one that often times still felt rooted in doing things differently than the US on principle, and they were proud of it.

At the time, it was easy to miss some of the nuance given that Canada's approach aligned well with, say, Europe, but over time as the rest of the world moved on, Canada started to become an outlier and it's persisted for months and months. Complete inertia. When I flew through a few weeks ago and saw firsthand the continued enforcement of masks, random testing, and crew in so much PPE, it just felt so painfully obvious that their approach, like so many things in Canada, had become more about "being Canadian" (i.e., "not American") and less about the actual thing (Covid).

I'm happy they can return focus to all the other great stuff that makes them who they are, and start putting Covid in greater perspective.

 

[jase05]

100% enforcement on flights travelling to Vietnam and in Vietnam. Supposedly required in airports here too but not enforced and probably only 50% compliance

 

[justinbrett]

From personal experience, flying BA LON to/from DE in Apr. No mask on board.

On arrival at BER, everyone was asked to mask up to enter BER terminal.

I forgot to post at the time - flew MUC-LHR on BA on Sep 20.

Most people boarded without masks and nothing was said. Just prior to pushback FA made an announcement that "masks are mandatory on flights into and out of Germany", but as soon as she hung up the handset she looked at the first few rows of J (where I was) and said "nah, don't worry about it, we'll be out of German airspace in a minute, what are they going to do?".

However when we got the train into Munich from Austria, when we crossed the border we were told to put on masks - and were boarded by German Police; though they didn't care about masks, they were checking passports (very unusual I thought).

 

[NamarrgonFlyer]

Is it company policy that Jetstar crew wear masks still? Was quite odd yesterday when they were the only ones wearing masks on a full flight yesterday.

 

[OZDUCK]

I forgot to post at the time - flew MUC-LHR on BA on Sep 20.

Most people boarded without masks and nothing was said. Just prior to pushback FA made an announcement that "masks are mandatory on flights into and out of Germany", but as soon as she hung up the handset she looked at the first few rows of J (where I was) and said "nah, don't worry about it, we'll be out of German airspace in a minute, what are they going to do?".

However when we got the train into Munich from Austria, when we crossed the border we were told to put on masks - and were boarded by German Police; though they didn't care about masks, they were checking passports (very unusual I thought).

That is what happened to us when we travelled Prague - Regensburg by train. The German Police were doing the passport checks not Border Officers. I assume that because of Schengen the numbers of Immigration/ Customs personnel posted on the German border with other Schengen countries was massively reduced. The sudden need, perceived or otherwise, to check identity documents in the last year or so has possibly left them unable to cope and forced the use of Police instead.

 

[4lex]

I'm flying again tomorrow, per syd dfw, anyone know what to expect?

 

[tomlee1986]

I'm flying again tomorrow, per syd dfw, anyone know what to expect?

USA doesn’t need a mask nor in Sydney

 

[4lex]

Are we finally there... Cheers.