Two aircraft passengers who refused to wear a mask on board were escorted off their plane by police at Malta International Airport late on Friday.

The passengers, a man and woman holding British passports, were on a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Malta.

They refused to put on face masks despite repeated requests by cabin crew, prompting the plane’s captain to request police assistance upon landing.

Police officers, accompanied by Malta International Airport security officers, immediately boarded the plane after it landed at 9.10pm and marched the two passengers off it.

The captain declined to press charges, a police spokesperson said. The couple may still be fined for breaching Maltese COVID-19 laws.

Air carriers currently require all passengers to wear face masks during flights, as a precautionary measure to limit the risk of virus transmission. The measure is among a raft of restrictions the aviation industry has introduced to allow it to resume operations in the midst of a pandemic.

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