Passengers flying on Singapore Airlines will no longer be required to wear face masks on some flights beginning next Monday, 29 August joining other international airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. They have had a similar policy in place since earlier this year.

According to Singapore Airlines, only passengers flying to or from destinations that require a face mask on flights will be required to wear one.

Masks are no longer required at Singapore’s Changi International Airport; however, travellers who prefer to wear one onboard or within the airport, regardless of destination, may do so.

Like most Asian airlines, Singapore Airlines strictly enforced the mask mandate onboard all of its flights, regardless of destination, to comply with government requirements.

Any passenger aged six and up was required to wear a mask during the flight and could only remove it between mealtimes. However, the Singapore Government recently announced that masks would no longer be needed unless used on public transportation or healthcare facilities.

Countries’ Covid-19 rules are currently varied. In Europe, passengers in Germany and Spain are still required to wear masks, whereas in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are not.

Except for Thailand, all countries in South-East Asia require masks. Masks are required in Australia but not in New Zealand, and masks are required in Canada but not in the United States.

Due to German regulatory restrictions, Singapore Airlines needs an onboard mask on flights SQ25 and SQ26. Due to Spanish regulatory regulations, masks are also required onboard flights SQ377 and SQ378 between Milan and Barcelona.

While the current policy may be confusing, Singapore Airlines stated that it will update its website on changes to its mask-wearing restrictions as they evolve and that passengers should always check for the most recent version.

All SIA and Scoot aircraft include high-efficiency particle air (Hepa) filters that eliminate 99.97% of airborne microorganisms, including viruses and germs and refresh the cabin air every two or three minutes.

Other airlines that also no longer mandate masks on board include London-based EasyJet, Scandinavian Airlines, Dutch carrier KLM and American ultra-low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines.

To find out more about the list of countries that require the mask to be worn on board, visit: Maskrequirementsbydestinations.pdf (singaporeair.com)