In Germany, there is increasing resistance in the aviation industry to the mask requirement in commercial aircraft, which is still practiced and is even about to be tightened. The Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) calls for its abolition.

The decision of the federal cabinet stipulates that in future FFP2 masks must be worn on aircraft that travel to/from Germany and on long-distance trains. The Federal Republic is thus taking a lonely special path, because in Europe almost all countries have abolished the obligation to wear masks. Lufthansa is now up in arms against it and even sees competitive disadvantages.

The industry association BARIG is critical of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach's (SPD) plan. Secretary General Michael Hoppe explains, among other things: “The plan of the federal government is incomprehensible to us. There is no epidemiological basis for such a step. We appeal to the Bundestag and Bundesrat to improve the legislative proposal".

The official also points out that Germany would take a lonely special path and that there has been no mask requirement at German airports for several months. "It is therefore completely inconsistent that passengers are obliged to wear an FFP2 mask as soon as they board a plane to or from Germany. Germany as a location for air traffic would be significantly disadvantaged by such unjustified strict regulation in international competition," said the association.

A tightening of the mask requirement in air traffic is also inappropriate given that there is only a very low risk of infection on the plane. This has been shown impressively in the last two years and is also scientifically proven. Powerful HEPA filters and regular, complete air exchange in the cabin make a significant contribution to this. As early as May 2022, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a clear recommendation to waive the obligation to wear masks on airplanes.

"Accordingly, a general obligation to wear FFP2 masks can hardly be conveyed to international and national passengers, as they have long been exempt from this in many other areas of public life. Therefore, passengers should be able to choose for themselves whether they want to wear an FFP2 or surgical mask when flying for their own protection," says Hoppe.