Virgin Atlantic Update to onboard face mask policy – 19 April 2022

• 19 April 2022
• News
• Virgin Atlantic

An update from Virgin Atlantic around their onboard face mask policy.

As we learn to live with Covid-19, and with the legal requirement to wear a face mask now removed in the UK, we’re supporting our customers and people to make a personal choice on mask-wearing onboard, where regulations allow.

Following the ruling of a United States district court judge on Monday 18 April, the Biden administration has announced that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer enforce the federal mandate requiring masks onboard aircraft. 
 
Effective immediately, masks will be a personal choice for our customers and people travelling in either direction between the UK and the United States. This aligns with our existing mask policy on routes where international regulations around mask-wearing do not apply, such as between the UK and the Caribbean.

We encourage everyone to be respectful of fellow passengers’ mask preferences and across our network, we continue to adhere to all regulatory requirements, recognising that mask requirements differ by market.

Routes where face masks onboard are a personal choice:
Services to or from Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, The Bahamas, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States.

This list will expand as regulatory requirements for destinations allow.

Routes where face masks onboard must be worn:
For the following routes to or from the UK, masks are still required for customers aged 12 and above until further notice: Delhi, Islamabad, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lahore, Lagos, Mumbai, Shanghai, Tel Aviv.

Please check here regularly for updates to travel restrictions and here for specific flight status.  

We will continue to keep you up to date with all the latest updates to schedule and travel restrictions, You can stay connected with Virgin Atlantic Partner Hub and sign up to be the first to hear from us.

Please ensure the latest traveller contact information is available within the booking, so the latest instructions reach the traveller via SMS and email.