Malaysia Airlines drops mask mandate

Ho Chi Minh city, December 29th 2020: Airbus A330 of Malaysia Airlines was arriving at Tan Son Nhat international airport at sunset.

Travellers flying into Malaysia will no longer need to wear a mask after the country lifted its mask mandate for commercial aircraft.

Malaysia’s Minister of Health, Khairy Jamaluddin announced the relaxed mask measures over the weekend.

Effective immediately, the use of masks is optional to passengers flying with airlines under the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), including Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings and AMAL, unless stipulated otherwise by the destination country.

Group CEO of MAG, Captain Izham Ismail had earlier briefed the Minister on its risk-based approach in making the use of face masks optional onboard aircraft.

Among the protective features available in aircraft are the cabin air circulation system where cabin air is refreshed 20-30 times an hour, and the use of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that has the capability to filter 99.9 per cent of airborne contaminants including viruses and bacteria.

However, Malaysia Airlines strongly encourages passengers who are unwell, high-risk individuals and those travelling with high-risk individuals to continue wearing masks onboard.

MAG is committed to providing a safe and seamless end-to-end travel experience in line with its MHFlySafe initiative, including fully vaccinated pilots and cabin crew as well as frequent aircraft disinfection following guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the World Health Organization.


Image: iStock/Thanh Ho

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