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Airlines lift mask mandate on flights

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Airlines on Monday said they will no longer require passengers to wear face masks on their flights after the national government ended the country&#x27;s public health emergency declaration, which was raised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/22/23/marcos-lifts-covid-19-public-health-emergency">Marcos lifts COVID-19 public health emergency</a></li></ul>AirAsia Philippines on Monday said face masks are no longer required on all their domestic flights, but wearing these for international destinations remains subject to the existing health protocols in the destination country.The budget carrier stressed that they will continue to deep clean and sanitize their aircraft between flights.&quot;Although it is no longer a policy, guests, and crew may still opt to wear face masks whenever they deem necessary,&quot; AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said in a statement. &quot;However, we also want to reiterate that our aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which filter and block 99.97 percent of airborne particles including known bacteria and viruses,” he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/07/03/23/airasia-offers-flights-as-low-as-p77-in-77-sale">AirAsia offers flights as low as P77 in 7.7 sale</a></li></ul>Cebu Pacific also said masks are no longer required on their flights.&quot;Passengers are advised to continue practicing minimum health standards such as washing of hands, disinfecting, and physical distancing when necessary,&quot; the airline said in a statement.Cebu Pacific also advised their passengers to check in online to maintain contactless flight procedures and avoid queuing at the airport check-in counters. Passengers were also advised to go straight to their gates or proceed to the self-bag tag kiosks before dropping bags off.Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) also said they welcome the government&#x27;s move to lift the mask mandate. &quot;This is a significant sign of the normalization of air travel and proof that the Philippines is open for business and tourism,&quot; the company said in a statement.PAL also said they will continue to disinfect aircraft and use HEPA filters and an advanced airflow system inside the aircraft cabin to help mitigate health risks. The airlines&#x27; announcements came shortly after the Department of Transportation said anti-COVID masks and physical distancing are no longer mandatory in public utility vehicles.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/24/23/dotr-lifts-mask-distancing-rules-in-public-transport">DOTr lifts mask, distancing rules in public transport</a></li></ul>

 Two airlines on Monday said they will no longer require passengers to wear face masks on their flights after the national government ended the country's public health emergency declaration, which was raised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 