Australia Drops Mask Mandate For Domestic Flights

Some COVID restrictions, including the mask mandate for domestic flights, are set to be lifted very soon.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the national cabinet has agreed to end the policy requiring passengers to wear masks on domestic flights beginning on 9 September.

Each government will be responsible for determining whether or not masks will continue to be mandatory on public transport.

Masks will still be required on all inbound international flights; however, passengers flying out of Australia must fulfil the airline’s mask requirements and the country they are travelling to.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) strongly advises wearing a mask indoors, especially where physical separation is impossible, as is often the case in aeroplane cabins.

In June, state and territory governments decided to eliminate mask restrictions at Australian airports, claiming that enforcing the provision was no longer acceptable since masks were optional in most other public situations.

In April, the United States eliminated all mask restrictions for domestic and international flights, with the United Kingdom and the majority of EU nations following suit in May.