Tokyo: Japanese airlines will let each passenger decide whether to wear a face mask on flights from March 13, it was learned on Tuesday.

The Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan, which comprises domestic carriers, will revise its industry guidelines on COVID-19 measures.

The association, along with the All Japan Airport Association, which consists of airport operators, drew up the guidelines in 2020, under which airlines have been asking passengers and others to wear face masks.

The industry guidelines will be revised as the Japanese government is set to renew its guidelines on wearing face masks on March 13.

The government’s new guidelines will call for the continued use of masks on crowded trains and buses, while noting that wearing masks is unnecessary on Shinkansen bullet trains, expressway buses and other means of transportation where almost all passengers are seated.

JIJI Press