Will I Still Need to Wear a Mask When I Fly?

Whether a mask will be required when you fly depends on where, when, and with which airline you plan to fly. Of course, your personal health risk factors and preferences matter too. Regulations continue to change frequently and rapidly, so always double-check the requirements for your airline and route before heading to the airport.

To make checking the mask policies easier, I’ve provided links to popular domestic and international airlines.

All of the major U.S. airlines have dropped their mask requirements for crew and passengers on domestic flights following the April 18, 2022 ruling striking down the U.S. federal transportation mask mandate. For updated mask policies, click the links below:

• Alaska Airlines

• American Airlines

• Delta Airlines

• Jet Blue

• Southwest Airlines

• United Airlines

Even though masks are no longer required on domestic flights, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend that everyone age two and older wear a well-fitted mask on public transportation and in transportation hubs, including on airplanes and in airports.

Masking rules that were originally established to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 inflight have also been relaxed in Europe. On May 16, 2022, a recommendation by the European Union went into effect advising countries to discontinue mask mandates on airplanes and in airports in the EU. However, individual countries and airlines in Europe make their own policies, and masking remains a requirement on some international flights. As of September 2022, Lufthansa is one of the few global airlines still requiring passengers and crew to wear masks. For updated mask policies, click the links below:

• Aer Lingus

• Air France

• British Airways

• Finnair

• Iberia

• IcelandAir

• KLM

• Lufthansa

• SAS

• TAP Portugal

• Virgin Atlantic

Masking is also still required by some airlines that fly to and within countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Mask requirements on other international carriers:

• Aero Mexico

• Air Canada

• Air New Zealand

• ANA

• Emirates

• LATAM

• Qantas

• Singapore Airlines

• Turkish Airlines

As with flights, the same goes for airports throughout the world—the rules change depending on the destination. Travelers should make sure they are up to date on the masking regulations and vaccination requirements for the destination(s) they are traveling to. Check the U.S. State Department’s detailed COVID-19 travel information and country-specific advisories, which are updated regularly and include information about mask policies.

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