Airline Mask Requirements for Inbound and Outbound International Flights

As someone in a country with a mask mandate on flights, my understanding from reading elsewhere, is that it isn’t about air space but which ever country has the higher level of requirement is what’s followed. Anecdotally I know that flight crews are ‘policing’ the requirement less and less.

Your understanding if the policy is correct. Mask on in both directions. I don't need to understand the reason, or agree with it to comply. Their plane, their rules.

I believe the requirement is based on the flag of the carrier. We flew Condor, a German carrier, from PDX to FRA in August and masks were required except when eating. Once in the airport, masks were NOT required but on the U-Bahn they were required. Germany is dropping the mask mandate the end of Sept. as is Italy. Spain seems to be in a confusing state based on what I have read.

I got Covid in one of my trips abroad because for the first time in years I got careless and didn't wear a mask while visiting a vineyard. Never again. While I am vaccinated and boosted and Covid wasn't deadly, it did mess up my vacation. Brain fog for three weeks. So I will always wear a mask while Covid is around in airplanes and most places.

US based carriers have been lax/inconsistent enforcing the rules of the country which they are flying into/out of. I’ve flown AA to Spain twice, round trip, since the US dropped its mask mandate. On none of those 4 flights was Spain’s mask reuse enforced as it should have been.

We flew Delta, ATL to MAD earlier this month, masks were not required. Will fly back to ATL in a few days, expect the same.

Thanks to each of you (and to anyone else who wishes to respond) for your responses.

Paul, I may send you a PM in a week or so to see whether the mandate was required on the flight to the US.

I am scheduled to travel to Spain in March. I am flying on Delta, from New York to Barcelona and from Madrid to Atlanta. If there are mask policies, I will follow them, and certainly if at that time there are mask requirements on public transportation in Spain, they will be followed. However, I find wearing a mask on a train for three hours less challenging than wearing a mask on a nine-hour transatlantic flight. And as a personal matter, to avoid wearing a mask on transatlantic flights to and from Spain, I would rather fly into another European airport and then fly into Spain--or simply visit another country in Europe.

Germany is dropping the mask mandate the end of Sept.

What specifically is being dropped in Germany? It is my understanding that FFP2 masks will continue to be required on all public transportation. So what mandate is being dropped starting October 1? Thanks.

We just flew United to Italy and I’d say less than 20% of passengers and maybe 2% of the crew were masked.

We just flew United to Italy and I’d say less than 20% of passengers and maybe 2% of the crew were masked.
Italy does mandate masks on buses and public transportation but we saw very few masked with the exception of elderly.
We masked on all transportation as did our tour mates.

Continental,
In Germany, the mask mandate for flights is ending. They are required on long-distance trains and states can set mandates for other public transport. Long version here https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-to-impose-new-nationwide-covid-rules-from-october-1/.

Thanks, Laurel. So it sounds like sbahn & ubahn trains are exempt.

It isn’t based on the flag of the carrier. Air France no masks within France in May but our flight back to Canada required them.

Just returned from Italy, flying through Zurich on Swiss. Masks were not required on planes to/from Switzerland. Ditto for Italy. Masks were officially required on trains and public transportation. When I arrived in Florence I took the local tram from the airport to my hotel; compliance was 0%.

Compliance on the long distance trains was maybe 50-70%. Compliance in the Rome Metro was about 50%. Nobody was checking compliance. I had no experience with buses. The train from Naples to Pompeii was basically a local commuter train, it was packed in the morning and compliance was maybe 25%.

In response about my Madrid-Atlanta flight I took Yesterday, masking was not required on the Delta flight.

"So it sounds like sbahn & ubahn trains are exempt"

Masks are still required on all types of public transport.

Just adding a data point from my flight yesterday to the US out of Frankfurt on American Airlines. Departing from Germany, masks should have been required still, but there was zero mention of it, and only a handful of pax were masked.

You do not need to understand a mask rule for flights. If there is a rule, you get out your mask and put it on.

In my initial post, it was not my intent to ask for the reasons of any mask-mandate policy (though I did wonder about the rationale for a country's mask-mandate policy applying to outbound international flights). I was trying to avoid any political or public-policy discussions. If my initial post lacked clarity, I apologize. I was largely asking for countries that still have a mask-mandate policy on flights, what was the codified policy for both inbound and outbound international flights, and what was policy and custom of the airlines for such flights. In short, if I am flying on Delta from New York to Barcelona and from Madrid to Atlanta, under the current policies, do I have to wear a mask? The many responses I received have provided me exactly with the information I was seeking. Many thanks to all who responded, especially Paul who just provided the information on his return flight.

Richard, thank you for asking the question.

The answers were helpful to me and my future travel plans. I was looking at a Portugal trip using Air France but they still had a mask mandate for the trip and I, too, want to avoid that on a long-haul, if possible. Either by changing airlines or destinations.

Paul, thank you for giving us a very up-to-date report of your experience.

We flew Delta through Atlanta to Barcelona and back from Madrid a couple of weeks ago. Not a word was said about masks.

I believe that as of my writing this, no European country, or the USA, requires masks on planes.

If there are some, please inform us.

In the past month I've taken numerous flights including Iceland, Ireland, the UK and the US. On all flights, announcements were made saying masks were optional and to please respect those who wish to wear them. Very few wore masks.