Holidays in Spain: Mask rules for Irish passengers on Ryanair and Aer Lingus flights after latest changes

Ryanair and Aer Lingus passengers flying to Spain are likely to have to wear face masks
in flight for the foreseeable future, despite recent changes to EU mask-wearing policies.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) previously announced that it would no longer recommend mandatory face coverings on board flights from May 16.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus will follow this advice where possible.

READ MORE: Mask rules for Ryanair passengers traveling to Spain, Portugal and more

However, a number of EU countries, including Spain, will continue to require masks for air
travel.

Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias confirmed at a press conference that the
The decision was in line with the country’s policy on masks for public transport.

“Europe says that the use of the mask on flights must be aligned with national regulations and in Spain we have only recently decided that in this context it remains mandatory,” said Ms Darias.

Aer Lingus has confirmed on its website that domestic flights within Ireland, as well as
flights to the UK, USA and European countries such as Switzerland, Greece and the Czech Republic
Republic will no longer require masks to be worn on board.

However, a number of EU countries have adapted similar policies to Spain, including Portugal, Germany, Turkey and the Netherlands.

Austria and Italy additionally require passengers to use FFP2 masks in the air.

Ryanair echoed Aer Lingus’ statement, but added that they hoped Europe
countries will adapt their policies in the near future.

“We welcome this relaxation of EASA and ECDC rules effective Monday,
next May 16. From this date, face masks will be optional on all Ryanair flights, with the exception of flights to/from the 15 EU states where masks remain mandatory on public transport,” the CEO said. of Ryanair, Eddie Wilson, in a press release.

“We expect these states to relax their rules on face masks over the next few days in accordance with these new health guidelines from EASA and ECDC. Potential passengers can view the latest EU face mask regulations on the Re-Open EU website,” he added.

The director of the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC), Andrea Ammon, urged people traveling abroad to respect the rules established by each country.

“The rules and requirements of the States of departure and destination must be respected and
applied consistently, and tour operators should ensure that passengers are informed of any
necessary actions in a timely manner,” Ammon said in a statement.

“The importance of these measures should continue to be effectively communicated to
passengers for their safety, and ECDC will continue to work with our colleagues at EASA to regularly assess and amend the recommendations as necessary.

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