Air travellers who refuse to wear masks could face penalties, Iata says

Masks, when properly worn, can stem the spread of Covid-19 virus by up to 90%, according to the University of Edinburgh

Mask wearing has already become commonplace for airline passengers. But there are some reports about travellers refusing to wear a mask during a flight. AFP

Air travellers who refuse to wear face masks could face penalties and even be removed from aircraft, the International Air Transport Association said on Tuesday.

Wearing face coverings during travel is a key recommendation of the UN-backed International Civil Aviation Organisation’s guidance for safe operations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Failure to conform means that passengers face the “risk of being offloaded, restrictions on future carriage or penalties under national laws”, Iata said.

“Safety is at the core of aviation and compliance with crew safety instructions is the law,” Alexandre de Juniac, Iata's director general and chief executive, said.

“Failure to comply can jeopardise a flight’s safety, disrupt the travel experience of other passengers and impact the work environment for crew.”

An airline has the right to offload a person whose behaviour interferes with a flight, violates government regulations and threatens the safety of other passengers, under the terms set out when issuing a ticket.

However, Iata – which represents nearly 290 airlines carrying 82 per cent of global air traffic – said there are reports about travellers refusing to wear masks when embarking on a flight.

While this is confined to a very small number of individuals, some on-board incidents have become violent, resulting in costly and extremely inconvenient diversions to offload these passengers, the agency added.

Masks, when properly worn, can stem the spread of Covid-19 virus through the mouth by up to 90 per cent, according to a study by the University of Edinburgh.

Other measures taken by the aviation industry to ensure the safety of passengers include offering contactless check-in and immigration facilities, regular sanitisation at airports and on aircraft and the use of contact tracing apps.

Governments around the world are gradually easing travel restrictions as they reopen their economies. However, demand for air travel has not picked up as industry experts had anticipated.

Alexandre de Juniac, Iata's director general and chief executive, appealed passengers to wear face masks during the journey. Reuters

A survey carried out for Iata by Rockland Dutton Research in June found that fewer people were willing to fly than at the peak of movement restrictions in April.

More than eight in 10 people globally said they were concerned about catching the virus while travelling, the survey found. About 45 per cent of people said they expected to travel within two months, compared with 61 per cent in April.

Last week, Iata issued a 30-page airline self-assessment health checklist to help operators navigate through the pandemic. It covered everything from pre-arrival notifications to disembarkation procedures.