Germany's Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) actually wanted to tighten the mask requirement on board commercial aircraft, but things now seem to be different. The obligation to cover your mouth and nose in aircraft cabins is on the verge of extinction.

Almost all European countries have long since abolished the obligation to wear masks on board. However, Germany is taking a lonely special path. Karl Lauterbach wanted even tighten to FFP2 masks, but the coalition partner FDP, but also Lufthansa, resisted the project.

As first reported by the editorial network Germany, the obligation to cover mouth and nose in aircraft cabins was removed from the draft of the Infection Protection Act. However, Lauterbach should be able to order this by ordinance if the numbers are unfavorable. However, this requires the approval of all departments, including the FDP ministries. This means that the mask requirement is de facto abolished.

In recent weeks, the news magazine "Der Spiegel" has repeatedly attracted attention with reports accusing foreign airlines of disregarding German law. The fact that the law of the country of registration applies to cross-border flights on board due to international aviation agreements, some of which are decades old, was ignored. At first it was denounced that Swiss no longer requires masks on Germany flights and a short time later it hit the Austrian Eurowings Europe.

Germany's largest airline, Lufthansa, was no longer willing to enforce the German mask requirement by hook or by crook a few months ago. In recent weeks, the company has positioned itself - also with reference to international practice - clearly against the obligation to cover mouth and nose. One appeals in the direction of voluntariness and sees the economic disadvantages of being forced to do so, since passengers, especially on long-haul routes, switch to providers who no longer have to demand a mask.