Finnair removes the face mask requirement on its flights

Many countries are removing Covid-19-related restrictions due to the increasing vaccination coverage and the mild form of the recent virus variants. In line with this, the Finnish flagship carrier Finnair is now lifting the requirement to wear a face mask on board all flights.  

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

"Those who wish to continue to wear a mask when traveling are naturally welcome to do so," the company said in a press release.

“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. 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,” says Kimmo Ketola, Medical Director at Finnair.

However, the company points out that 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.

Not required on domestic flights

Customers can check the list of countries requiring masks onboard on Finnair.com travel updates page or check 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.