After more than four years, the era of masks in Chinese civil aviation finally comes to an end.
Hainan Airlines Group announced on its WeChat official account on the evening of April 29th that, in accordance with the latest requirements from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), from May 6th, Hainan Airlines flight attendants will no longer be required to wear masks. This move marks the first official announcement among Chinese airlines.
On April 30th, the Joyful HU Cabin Service, the official WeChat account of Hainan Airlines‘ cabin service department, published a post stating that starting from May 6th,
“flight attendants can gracefully remove the constraints of masks while soaring through the clouds, allowing those long-hidden brilliant smiles to shine brightly in the sky at an altitude of ten thousand meters. Removing the mask is what we all look forward to, a moment of free breathing and unrestricted communication.”
Photo: Hainan Airlines
It’s worth mentioning that according to the requirements of the CAAC, there are two situations in which crew members need to wear masks: when they exhibit symptoms of infectious diseases such as fever, cough, runny nose, or sore throat, and when replacing High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters on the aircraft.
Regarding cabin crew, the CAAC’s requirements also stipulate that they can wear disposable PE gloves when providing cabin services such as meal distribution, meal tray collection, and cleaning lavatories.
The belated decision by CAAC
Since the global spread of COVID-19 began at the end of 2019, airlines worldwide, including those in China, have announced requirements for both crew members and passengers to wear masks while flying.
Indeed, in January 2020, amid the rampant spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, there were reports that some Chinese airlines did not allow flight attendants to wear masks, citing concerns about damaging the company’s image. However, this drew criticism from the public regarding the airline management’s apparent disregard for the safety of frontline staff.
Photo: Hainan Airlines
As the world’s understanding of the pandemic deepened, airlines worldwide imposed strict requirements for both crew members and passengers to wear masks. In August 2020, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also issued a call on its official website, emphasizing that during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew members, it was mandatory for all passengers to wear masks while traveling.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic gradually stabilized and control measures eased, requirements for wearing masks while flying began to relax starting from 2022. In March, some British airlines and KLM lifted mask restrictions. In April, a US court ruled that the US government’s mask mandates for airlines and public transportation were no longer effective.
In December 2022, after significant costs, the Chinese government suddenly lifted all epidemic prevention requirements. Before long, passengers were no longer required to wear masks while traveling by plane. However, on January 5th, 2023, the CAAC issued new mask-wearing guidelines, recommending that cabin crew wear N95/KN95 masks during flight operations, and flight crew wear disposable surgical masks. Despite this guidance, airlines continued to require crew members to wear masks in actual operations.
After nearly another year and a half, passengers on Chinese civil aviation flights can finally see flight attendants without masks again, marking the end of the mask era in Chinese civil aviation after more than four years.
Source: Simple Flying
