A group of airlines in Japan, including Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, plans to make passenger mask-wearing a “personal choice” in May in line with the government’s planned downgrading of COVID-19, which involves a revision of mask guidelines.
The move comes with many airline operators in Western countries having already lifted their mask-requirements last year, making them optional.
Under the present guidelines of the Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan, which brings together 19 airlines, passengers other than infants are asked to wear masks and refrain from talking to each other as much as possible while on the plane.
If passengers have illnesses or disabilities that prevent them from wearing masks, they are asked to consult with airlines beforehand. If a passenger refuses to wear a mask without a justifiable reason, airlines can deny boarding.
The industry group announced the policy change Monday following the government’s decision last month to downgrade COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal flu from May 8.
Mask-wearing on planes has made headlines in the past, with a Japanese man sentenced to two years in prison in December for refusing to wear a mask on board a Peach Aviation flight in September 2020, forcing an unscheduled landing to remove him.