Cathay Pacific’s new policy allowing passengers lying flat in business and first class to take off their face masks has sparked safety concerns from cabin crew, who also questioned whether the decision discriminated against passengers in economy.

Passengers would be allowed to take their masks off “when laying horizontally in business or first class,” the Hong Kong carrier announced in an internal staff memo at the beginning of this month, Apple Daily has learnt.

According to the notice, passengers are allowed to take their face masks off during the flight only under certain circumstances that last for no longer than 15 minutes, such as eating and taking medicine, as well as during emergency situations. Children under two and disabled passengers who are unable to put on a mask are also exempt.

It is understood that the current version of the internal guidelines has been in effect since May last year but it was not widely known among cabin crew until an incident broke out recently on a flight to Hong Kong.

One senior member of the cabin crew tried to stop a business class passenger from taking off their mask, but the crew manager learned of the rule about passengers laying flat on their fully reclined seats being exempt, a crew member who calls herself Joy told Apple Daily.

The policy put cabin crew in a difficult position, said Joy, as other passengers who want to keep their masks on might complain to those who are not wearing theirs. The policy might also expose cabin crew to the risk of catching the coronavirus, she added.

The policy could also be seen as discriminatory toward passengers in economy class, another cabin crew member added. Due to the ongoing pandemic, most flights are not fully booked and economy class passengers can usually occupy the entire row and lie flat, just like their counterparts in business and first class.

“This arrangement makes people wonder if Cathay Pacific favors rich people and discriminates against the poor,” said the crew member, who declined to be named.

The guideline was not uploaded on the carrier’s website. The airline already allowed those who are uncomfortable with wearing a mask to take them off during the flight and let the cabin crew duty manager make the final decision.

Getting everyone to wear a mask is the ideal scenario for cabin crew, who need to serve passengers at close range, said virologist Dr. Wilson Lam.

The existing Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation did not stipulate that airline passengers are required to wear masks like those on other public transport, the Department of Health said, in response to Apple Daily’s inquiry. But passengers are recommended to keep their masks on at all times on the plane, especially for the benefit of cabin crew who need to engage with passengers at close quarters, the department spokesperson said.

Cathay Pacific didn’t immediately respond to Apple Daily’s request for comments.

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