IATA calls on travelers to wear masks during flights.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on all travelers to wear a mask during their travels to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew.

The use of masks is a key recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) guidance for safe operations during a pandemic, developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization and individual governments.

IATA has highlighted the need for passengers to comply with the recommendation after recent reports of travelers refusing to wear a face shield during a flight.

The organization warns that although this is limited to a very small number of passengers, some incidents on board have become violent, resulting in costly detours and problems for other passengers.

A PLANE TICKET IS A CONTRACT

An airline ticket is a contract by which the passenger accepts the airline’s terms and conditions of carriage. Those conditions may include the right of the airline to deny carriage to a person whose behavior interferes with a flight, violates government regulations, or makes other passengers feel unsafe.

Airlines also stress the need to cover your face during the booking process, at check-in, at the gate and in in-flight announcements.

Non-compliance means that a passenger faces the risk of being ejected from his or her flight, restrictions on future transportation, or penalties under national laws.

The use of masks is part of a package of measures that has been developed by ICAO to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission during air travel worldwide, including non-contact check-in, social distancing where possible, increased cleaning and disinfection at airports and on aircraft, and contact tracing.

By EuropaPress