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Glasgow Live

National

Sophie Buchan

Face mask travel rules for easyjet, Jet2, TUI, BA and more as covid restrictions ease

easyJet British Airways Tui Scotland United Kingdom

As we approach Easter, many of us will be keen to jet away on holiday after two years of lockdown and travel restrictions.

The upcoming break will also no doubt represent the first chance to head for sunnier climes for those of us out there with kids.

Whilst Scotland scrapped most of their legal covid restrictions this week on March 21, the rules around face coverings still remain in place and will do until at least the first week of next month.

The rule extension came after a surge in covid cases, with the latest Office for National Statistics data revealing that one in 14 people in Scotland had covid last week.

But as people try to get away to soak up the sun, what does this mean for face masks?

Here's everything you need to know about face masks rules for the likes of easyJet and BA...

Easyjet

According to the Easyjet website, passengers must wear a face mask at the airport, at the gate when boarding the aircraft and throughout the flight.

Passengers not wearing a mask will not be able to board the aircraft however they do state that if you have an exemption you must visit their Safety and Wellbeing area.

They add: "In line with the guidance, all passengers including children age six and over will be required to wear a mask."

Easyjet add that the mask you wear should be FFP2 (or equivalent) certified, surgical or cloth adding that scarves, face visors or masks with valves are not permitted.

If your mask isn’t suitable, you may be refused travel.

Ryanair

The operator states that it is the responsibility of each passenger to check local requirements here before travelling and you must complete the necessary forms here or you may be denied boarding.

They add; "You must wear a face mask / covering in the airport and on board your flight. Some countries require this to be a surgical face mask. If you are travelling to/from/within Italy, Austria or Germany, it must be a FFP2 face mask."

However chief executive Michael O’Leary has stressed he expects this requirement to be abolished by late April or late May.

TUI

If you're flying to or from Wales or Scotland, TUI states that "everyone aged 12 and over needs to wear a face mask during their flight, including while sleeping, unless you’re exempt due to a medical condition" as "it's no longer a legal requirement for those travelling to or from England or Northern Ireland to wear a face mask during their TUI Airways flight."

You must wear one regardless of your vaccine status and your face mask must cover your nose, mouth and chin. You can wear a face shield, but you’ll need to wear a face mask, too.

They add: "No matter which UK nation you’re flying to or from, if you’re flying to Italy, everyone aged 6 and over must wear an FFP2 mask throughout your flight – this is mandatory. If you’re medically exempt, you must carry evidence of this. Just so you know, Sunflower Lanyards are not accepted as evidence."

Jet2

There are different rules for each country depending on where you are flying from.

In addition to the different rules, they state that passengers "need a medical-style mask or a fitted face covering (reusable or disposable) and coverings such as scarves, snoods, balaclavas or similar items are a no-no. Although some destinations have more specific requirements on the types of masks allowed, so please check the entry requirements for your destination carefully."

England and Northern Ireland

Jet2 state: "It’s no longer a legal requirement to wear a face mask at our airports or onboard our planes. However, as per UK Government guidance, we recommend that you continue to wear a face mask in these spaces, and you will need to wear one when you get to your overseas destination."

Scotland

For Scotland rules are a little different. The airline operator states: "It’s still a legal requirement for everyone aged six years and over to wear a face mask at our Scottish airports and onboard our planes travelling to and from those airports. This is the case even if you're fully vaccinated."

"If you’re unable to wear a mask, you must let us know in advance to be able to travel – please provide proof of your exemption to our Special Assistance team on 0800 408 5591 so we can authorise your travel. We’ll ask you for specific medical evidence to confirm this, as we don’t accept downloaded exemption cards or lanyards as proof of exemption. And if you fail to wear a face mask without our agreement, you’ll not be allowed to board your flight."

Virgin Atlantic

"The mask rules that apply will depend on the route you’re flying, because requirements differ by destination."

If you are exempt from wearing a face mask, you need to get in touch with the airline's Special Assistance team at least 48 hours before you're due to travel.

The airline states that as of March 16, passengers will no longer need to wear a mask but can if they wish.

However they stat that the rules around face coverings" will depend on the route you’re flying, because requirements differ by destination."

Other passengers must wear one however if they are flying to or from America.

The mask rules that apply will depend on the route you’re flying, because requirements differ by market. Customers may also still be asked to wear a mask when boarding or disembarking flights, according to the regulations of the departure or arrival airport or destination country.

This policy is being introduced gradually – both for customers and crew – and only on routes where international regulations around mask-wearing do not apply, beginning with our Caribbean services from London Heathrow and Manchester airports. We encourage everyone to be respectful of fellow passengers’ mask preferences, with masks still available for those wishing to wear them.

Routes where face masks onboard are a personal choice from 16 March:

"Services to or from Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, The Bahamas, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago. This list will expand as regulatory requirements for destinations allow."

Routes where face masks onboard must be worn:

"For all services operating to or from the United States, where the federal mask mandate on aircraft has been extended until 18 April, customers aged 2 and above must still maintain masks at all times, unless exempt.

"For the following routes to or from the UK, masks are still required for customers aged 12 and above until further notice: Delhi, Islamabad, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lahore, Lagos, Mumbai, Shanghai, Tel Aviv.

"Across our network, we continue to adhere to all regulatory requirements both in the UK and in destination countries."

British Airways

Taking to their website BA states that passengers in England no longer need to wear a mask at some airports however, as an international airline flying all around the world, they are said to be obliged to "ensure our customers continue to comply with local restrictions and meet the requirements of the destination they arrive at."

As a result, they are asking passengers to check the requirements of the destination you’re flying to before departing for the airport.

They state it means that:

If you are travelling on our flights, you will be required to wear a mask on board if the destination you are flying to or from requires you to
If you are travelling on our flights, you will be required to wear a mask to disembark the aircraft, and at your arrival airport, if the destination you are flying to requires it

They add: "Where we are unsure or have not been able to clarify the local restrictions, we will still require you to wear face coverings, and we ask that you continue to carry masks with you for the duration of your journey. For destinations where we have established that the wearing of a face covering is not mandated, you are able to make a personal choice and we kindly request everyone respects each other’s preferences."

You will need to wear a mask on board if you are travelling to or from the following destinations: