Mexico Eliminates Face Mask Requirement for Air Travel
Masks will no longer be mandatory on flights operated by Mexican airlines.
Little by little, the use of masks in Mexico has been relaxed, as well as sanitation measures, due to the decrease in COVID-19 infections in the country.
The airline Aeromexico informed, through its official Twitter account, that the use of mouth covers will be optional, according to the latest update from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).
“Both passengers and crew will have the option to dispense with it. We invite you to follow our social networks for more details,” the Mexican airline stated.
Masks Off
Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency issued a circular on Monday addressed to all airlines, airport concessionaires, and aeronautical personnel indicating the end of the requirement to use masks inside airports and onboard aircraft.
This measure, which bears the signature of the director of the AFAC, Carlos Antonio Rodriguez, recommends its use for those with any symptoms related to COVID-19 or other respiratory diseases to prevent contagion.
The measure is justified and specifies in its recitals issues that the air transport industry has been indicating since the pandemic’s beginning.
Getting Back To Normal
“Ambulatories and lounges in airport facilities are large and sufficiently ventilated spaces, while aircraft use a high-efficiency filtration system (HEPA) that removes 99.9 percent of particulate matter, bacteria, and viruses,” said Rodriguez.
Mexico thus joins the growing list of countries that have returned to normality regarding health protocols related to COVID-19 and air transport.
Mexico was one of the few countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world to keep its borders open during the pandemic. This allowed it to recover and overcome passenger traffic figures much more quickly.