Qantas makes face masks compulsory on Melbourne flights

Qantas and Jetstar passengers will have to wear masks if flying in and out of Victoria from today, in response to the state’s worsening virus crisis.

Qantas and Jetstar passengers will have to wear face masks on flights in and out of Victoria, in light of the state’s worsening virus outbreak.

Until now, both airlines offered free masks to passengers who chose to wear them, but from today the masks will be compulsory on all flights departing or arriving in Victoria as a result of that state’s second wave of COVID-19 cases.

Crew on those flights will also have to wear masks.

“We’ve made this change after a review conducted by our medical team in light of the prevalence of community transmission in Melbourne,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

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The rule applies to Qantas and Jetstar flights in and out of Victoria. Picture: David Clark Photography

Qantas’ new policy follows the Victorian Government’s mandatory face covering rule for residents of metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, which is now in effect.

Virgin Australia, which has already encouraged passengers to use complimentary masks and hand sanitiser, is now advising travellers to or from metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire to wear masks on their flights.

It’s also handing out masks and hand sanitiser to passengers on flights in and out of Victoria before boarding, rather than on the plane.

“While we readily make masks and sanitiser available on-board and encourage their use, the distribution of these for flights to and from Victoria is being shifted to occur prior to boarding,” a Virgin Australia spokesman said.

“In line with the Victorian Government’s public health order, guests travelling to or from metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell shire are advised to wear face coverings or masks on board from Thursday (July 23).”

Regional carrier Rex has been the only other Australian airline to mandate masks on flights.

Qantas Group medical director Ian Hosegood told the federal select committee on COVID-19 on Tuesday the airline was watching the situation in Sydney and would make masks compulsory on flights from any destination where there was a higher risk, Fairfax reported.

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Qantas chief customer officer Steph Tully, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and Qantas International chief Tino La Spina wear masks on a recent flight.

However, he noted there was public “resistance” to wearing masks on flights where the risk appeared to be lower than hot spots like Melbourne.

“Our approach to masks is that we strongly recommend that passengers wear them, but where there is no active cases in the community and flights are travelling between those locations, it’s very difficult to take a position that mandates masks when we have a lot of resistance to that,” he said, according to Fairfax.

“So our position at the moment is based on risk.”

Many of the world’s major airlines have made masks compulsory. Picture: Hector Retamal/AFP

Outside Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, federal health advice remains that masks are optional – however there is a push for masks to be mandated in Sydney due to its current spike in cases.

A number of airlines around the world have decided to make masks compulsory on flights, such as US airlines Delta, United, American, Southwest, JetBlue, Hawaiian, and Alaska Airlines, along with Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Lufthansa, easyJet, Air France and others.

As well as a face mask, Qatar Airlines also requires passengers to wear a plastic face shield.

Some airlines have also taken the option of blocking out middle seats on planes for social distancing, although the effectiveness of the measure has been debated.