Cathay Pacific allowing maskless flights for some passengers

Premium passengers aboard Cathay Pacific flights are getting an added perk during the COVID-19 pandemic — mask-free flying.

Business- and first-class passengers will be allowed to take off their masks when their seat is reclined or in a fully flat position, Executive Traveller reported Monday.

The Hong Kong airway credited the exemption to the spaciousness of its premium sections.

A spokesperson also told the travel outlet that Cathay’s aircraft are loaded with filtration systems that can filter “99.9999 percent of dust particles, including virus and bacteria.”

“Seats in first and business class are more spacious with partitions, and passengers are exempted when lying flat for sleep,” the spokesperson said.

Cathay mandated face masks for passengers during flights, as well as during airport check-ins and in lounge areas, on May 15.

In October, a Defense Department study found that contracting COVID-19 aboard a flight was “virtually nonexistent” — as long as passengers wear their masks.