By Annisa Essack
21:02:2022

Qatar Airlines dropped its Omicron ban on South Africans in January and placed the country on its green list.

However, it was recently discovered by passengers from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia, that if they wanted to travel via Doha, they would need to wear a face shield and a mask. No explanation was provided to passengers other than to say it was for their safety.

Phillip De Wet, the deputy editor at Business Insider, who spoke to Radio Islam International, was also in the dark as to the reasons behind the need for extra protection.

He did, however, explain that Qatar Airlines implemented a strict dress code for their crew to ensure that they could keep flying whilst other airlines shut down. As a precaution, the airline also requested that certain flights and certain people wear masks with a visor that was made mandatory.

The airline has previously demanded that passengers from the Philippines and India wear visors over their masks. As the Omicron variant made its appearance in January, the airline clamped down on Southern African countries again.

He added that when visors were first rolled out, the science didn’t make much difference and more so now, as research now proves otherwise.

De Wet believes that the airline uses a “security theatre” concept, where rules or regulations are implemented to provide a sense of security to clients. As Qatar Airlines uses safety as a selling point, according to De Wet, the concept has been institutionalised.

Qatar Airlines will provide the mask and visor, and passengers can eat or drink after removing the visor.

De Wet says that the airline, not the Qatar government, is enforcing the regulation.

“Travel is in a very weird space at the moment”, says De Wet, as rules are still being enforced worldwide whilst some countries are gearing up for a more “learn-to-live-with-the-virus” phase. He added that it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the duality, as some rules and regulations are no longer making sense.

He says that airline travel is picking up slowly compared to other modes. However, he says that the debate is ongoing regarding airline travel as the world returns to a new normal.

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