TATLONG malalaking airlines ang nag-anunsyo na alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. na alisin na ang COVID-19 public health emergency status sa bansa, ay hindi na rin nila ipatutupad ang pagsusuot ng face masks para sa kanilang mga pasahero habang bumabyahe.
Sinabi ni Cebu Pacific (CEB) spokesperson Carmina Romero na ang mask mandate sa kanilang airline ay tinanggal na rin simula pa nitong July 24, 2023, pero maaari pa ring ituloy ng mga pasahero ang practice ng minimum health standards tulad ng washing of hands, disinfecting at physical distancing, kung kailangan.
“Passengers are also encouraged to check-in online to maintain contactless flight procedures and avoid queuing in the airport check-in counters. Go straight to gate or proceed to our self-bag tag kiosks before dropping bags off. For questions or concerns, passengers can send a message to Charlie the Chatbot via Messenger,” sabi nito.
Sa kabilang banda, ang AirAsia Philippines naman ay nag-anunsyo na ang pagsusuot ng face masks ay hindi na ipatutupad sa lahat ng domestic flights, gayunman sa international destinations, ito ay depende sa umiiral na health protocols ng destination country, idinagdag din nito na inalis na noon pang first quarter ng 2023 ang facemask requirement sa Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea at Taiwan.
Sinabi naman ni Country Head for Communications and Public Affairs at Spokesperson Steve Dailisan na sa kabila ng pag-alis ng face mask policy, “AirAsia remains committed to adhering to the highest standards of safety among all its flights and that deep cleaning and aircraft sanitation will still be in effect on every after flight so that guests will have peace of mind and confidence as air travel returns to normalcy.”
“There is no room for complacency in the airline business. We want our guests to feel secure when they fly with AirAsia. Although it is no longer a policy, guests, and crew may still opt to wear face masks whenever they deem necessary. However, we also want to reiterate that our aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which filter and block 99.97% of airborne particles including known bacteria and viruses,” dagdag pa ni Dailisan.
Ang pag-alis ng public health emergency ay nakasaad sa Presidential Proclamation 297 at sinususugan ng Department Order 2023-017 ng Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Tulad din nito, sinabi ng Philippine Airlines (PAL) na welcome sa kanila ang pag-alis ng mask mandate at iba pang COVID protocols, at nagbibigay sa mga pasahero ng kalayaang mamili.
Ayon kay PAL spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna : “This is a significant sign of the normalization of air travel and proof that the Philippines is open for business and tourism. We assure that despite the removal of existing COVID-19 protocols, we will continue to observe safety procedures such as disinfection of aircraft surfaces after every flight and the use of HEPA filters and an advanced air flow system inside the aircraft cabin to help mitigate any potential health risks.”
Sinabi pa nito na ang PAL ay patuloy na susunod sa anumang COVID-related regulation na ipinatutupad ng mga espesipikong bansa.
