AirAsia Philippines considers the issuance of Executive Order No. 3 or the optional wearing of face masks outdoors as a welcome development that will attract more leisure travelers in a bid to stir economic activity.
EO No. 3 signed on Monday by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. no longer requires people to wear face masks in open areas with good ventilation.
The optional wearing of face masks outdoors was proposed by the IATF following the clamor from several industries, as well as the Department of Tourism (DOT), to relax restrictions on wearing face masks in open-air settings to attract more tourists to come to the Philippines and spur economic recovery.
However, the world’s best low-cost airline reminds its guests that wearing face masks is still required in all public transportation, especially in enclosed spaces such as airports and airplanes.
AirAsia Spokesperson and Head of Communications and Public Affairs Steve Dailisan said, “We remain committed to implementing stringent health protocols on the ground and in flight set by the IATF and firmly enforced by the aviation regulatory bodies. The signing of EO No. 3 is very timely since we are expecting more guests both foreign and local during ‘Ber’ months. People can now enjoy the fresh air outdoors and feel a sense of normalcy in our day-to-day lives.”
The local governments of Cebu and Iloilo have previously carried out optional face mask testing this month and have so far not seen a significant increase in the number of COVID cases.
“Our multi-layered approach to safety — composed of the full vaccination of our crew, the presence of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters in our aircraft, contactless solutions available on the airasia Super App, and implementation of standard safety guidelines — has been proven effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19. This is evidenced by the perfect 7/7 safety compliance awarded by airlineratings.com to AirAsia,” Dailisan added.