Following the Philippine government’s decision to lift the state of public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic supported by a new order by the country’s transportation department, AirAsia Philippines announced passengers will longer be required to wear face masks on all its domestic flights.
While passengers on domestic flights with AirAsia Philippines will no longer be required to wear face masks, the wearing of face masks for international flights shall remain subject to the existing health protocols in the country of destination.
AirAsia destinations Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have already lifted the face mask requirement as early as Q1 2023.
Despite the dropping of the face mask use requirement, AirAsia Philippines Country Head for Communications and Public Affairs and Spokesperson Steve Dailisan said deep cleaning and aircraft sanitation will still be in effect after every flight.
“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,” Dailisan added.
The Philippine government lifted the state of public health emergency under Presidential Proclamation 297 which was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on July 21. Following the signing of the presidential proclamation, the Philippine Department of Transportation issued its own order – Order 2023-017 – which dropped all COVID-19 protocols on all public transportation systems in the country.
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