Malta to scrap mandatory masks on flights in line with ECDC recommendation

People travelling to Malta on European flights will no longer be required to wear a mask onboard, according to a spokesperson for Health Minister Chris Fearne.

Malta will scrap the measure starting from Monday 16 May, after the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control (ECDC) announced that mask-wearing in airports and European flights is no longer recommended.

“As has been done so far during the COVID-19 pandemic, Malta will be following ECDC’s advice and therefore from next Monday, 16 May 2022, the Health Authorities will no longer be obliging passengers to wear masks on flights headed to Malta,” a spokesperson told MaltaToday. 

The new rules were announced today by the ECDC and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), effective as from 16th May. EASA said it hopes that the decision will mark a step forward towards the normalisation of air travel. 

As from Monday, masks will only be mandatory in hospitals, clinics and elderly care homes.