On December 10th, the Spanish Association of Airlines publicly reprimanded Spain's face mask requirement, which requires all passengers to wear face masks on airplanes in Spain. The organization criticized the regulation stating that it is pointless and hurts the country's tourism industry. The government has been one of the last to lift pandemic travel restrictions in Europe.

Ridicule of mask regulation

Spain's mask policy applies to more than just air travel. According to the regulation, all passengers utilizing public transportation must wear a mask at all times. Spanish Airlines and international airlines have previously complained about the country's persisting mask policy. Many airlines see the requirement as pointless as COVID-19 numbers have dropped considerably. Most of the world, including the aviation industry, believes that we now live in a post-pandemic world. Using this logic, upholding a mask policy when there have been no recent major outbreaks in the area is a waste of time.

Much of the ridicule regarding the mask requirement comes from international flights, many of which are operated by foreign carriers. Foreign carriers have previously voiced complaints concerning the requirement, but this latest rebuttal comes from within the country. In a statement, a representative for the Spanish Association of Airlines issued the following complaint,

"We are the only country in Europe and one of the few in the world which has this requirement, what is absolutely ridiculous is that on a 12 hour flight travelling to Spain you only need to wear a mask for the last hour because you are overflying Spanish territory..."

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

Harming the market

One of the biggest complaints coming from airlines regarding Spain's mask policy is that it is hurting the tourism market. While most travelers would still take a vacation even if required to wear a mask, some wouldn't. The number of passengers not traveling to Spain due to the mask policy is difficult to measure, however, several airlines have insisted that it hampers ticket sales. While airlines claim the mask policy is hindering business, what can be agreed on by all parties is that the recent lifting of COVID-19 vaccination requirements has greatly benefited the country's tourism market.

In 2019 Spain saw 125 million tourists making up a significant portion of the country's economy. Like most nations, Spain's travel industry was severely affected by the pandemic. In 2021 many countries started gradually easing travel requirements making it easier for people to travel while ensuring public safety, and this year many countries have entirely removed all travel restrictions.

Spain is the last European country to require passengers to wear masks while on a plane. It was also the last to drop the requirement that non-vaccinated passengers traveling from outside Europe must be tested for COVID-19 before visiting. The testing mandate was dropped on October 21st, allowing anyone to visit without needing to be vaccinated or tested, regardless of origin.

This has dramatically expanded the pool of potential tourists to the country. Many see the lifting of this requirement as the last pandemic air travel restriction within Europe, while others argue that mask requirements are still travel restrictions.

What do you think of Spain's mask requirement? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin