Face coverings are no longer required on any Air New Zealand-operated flights from 13 September 2022 after the NZ Government dropped the mask mandate on inbound international services to Aotearoa and internal domestic flights.
Passengers may still need to mask up on some outbound international flights, depending on the COVID-19 rules of the destination country.
It follows Australia ditching its mask mandate on international and domestic flights from 9 September.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said customers are still welcome to wear their own face masks and the airline will continue to make masks available.
“While some customers and employees will welcome this news, it doesn’t mean masks are disappearing forever,” Ms Geraghty said.
“We really encourage customers to continue to do what makes them comfortable, which is the same message we’re sharing with our employees.
“I want to make a special call out to our frontline staff who have smiled behind masks during a difficult period, often wearing masks for hours on end.
“They’ve helped keep customers and our communities safe, and we’re looking forward to seeing their smiling faces again.”
Air NZ is allowing customers to opt into credit until 30 September 2022 if they do not wish to travel following the mask mandate change.
For more info, head to airnewzealand.com
