Finnair Scraps Requirement for Crew and Passengers to Wear Face Masks

(22 April 2022, 11:49 +07)  Finnair is removing the need for passengers and crew to wear face masks on its flights.

From 25 April 2022, customers and crew will no longer be required to wear a face mask onboard Finnair flights, unless it is specifically required by the authorities of the destination or origin country.

Understanding that there may be some customers who feel uncomfortable with the relaxation of this specific requirement, the airline has pointed out that passengers who wish to continue wearing a mask when traveling can still do so.

Finnair A350 reg: OH-LWA. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

“The aircraft is regarded as a low-risk environment for coronavirus transmission, thanks to the effective air conditioning and other factors reducing the risk of transmission,” said Kimmo Ketola, Medical Director at Finnair. “However, if you want to have additional protection for personal reasons, you can always wear an FFP2 or FFP3 mask, both of which offer excellent protection against viruses even if others on board are not wearing masks.”

Many countries still require that masks are worn onboard flights to and from the destination. On such flights, both crew and customers are required to wear a face mask throughout the flight.

Customers can check the list of countries requiring masks onboard on Finnair's website or by checking the local authorities’ web pages for details.

Masks are not, for example, required on domestic flights and on flights to and from Scandinavia, whereas on flights to and from Asia and many European destinations masks are still required.