Passengers boarding an airplane in Nice, France, in February 2021. Photo: Jeremy Suyker/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The European Union announced Wednesday it will drop its mask mandate in airports and on flights next week because of waning coronavirus restrictions in European countries and the continent's vaccination and naturally acquired immunity levels.
Why it matters: The EU Aviation Safety Agency said it hopes the decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, is "a big step forward in the normalisation of air travel," though it still recommended masks for passengers.