Wearing mouth and nose protection including FFP2 masks will be compulsory starting next week no longer recommended by the EU Commission. However, this is only of symbolic importance, because the health ministers of the EU countries will continue to have the last word, so that the chaos of different regulations will continue.

In Austria, Federal Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) has it in his hands whether the recommendation of the EU Commission will be accepted or whether he will continue to cook his own soup. The ministry he heads has not explicitly answered the following clear questions:

“Will Austria take over this? If yes: When will the mask requirement on board aircraft to/from Austria be lifted? If not, why is Austria taking a different approach than recommended by the EU?”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health replied by email as follows: “The mask requirement in Austria applies to mass transport, including airplanes, in accordance with the COVID-19 BMV. We regularly evaluate the applicable regulations in view of the current number of cases".

So it remains unclear what Johannes Rauch will or will not prescribe for Austria. The member of the government emphasized at the end of last week that, despite loud criticism, for example from retailers, he will stick to the current FFP2 rules until at least July 8, 2022. If he can push through this line within the federal government, nothing would change on board commercial aircraft from/to Austria, despite the contrary recommendation of the European Union.

In practice, things are now completely different, for example at Vienna-Schwechat Airport more and more passengers maskless to meet Often out of ignorance, because in most EU countries there is no longer an MNS and certainly no FFP2 mask requirement, at least in terminals. Also on board aircraft the Austrian way is increasingly ignored and no longer reminded by many flight attendants. In many long-distance buses that travel to Austria, for example from Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic or the Balkan region, mask wearers are now the absolute exception.