The New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association (NZALPA) wants all Kiwis to wear face masks on planes and all domestic flights.
Now domestic air travel has returned under alert level 2, pilots want to change the way people travel.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents 290 airlines, "supports face coverings for passengers and masks for crew" because it is a "critical part" of biosecurity. This call is supported by NZALPA president Captain Andrew Ridling.
"I think at this stage, what we should be doing is wearing masks, mandatory, on all flights, until the evidence suggests it's not necessary," Ridling says.
He also agrees with IATA's opposition to having empty seats and the need for onboard social distancing.
"We want to get our aircraft up and flying again. We want to keep fares low. We want to ensure the public can start getting back to a normal life."
Air New Zealand is social distancing on planes and has "no official requirement" for face masks, saying it follows advice from the Government.
Bus operator InterCity is also following this advice, but says it "supports any initiative" that would restart inter-regional bus travel. With current social distancing rules, it's "not viable to resume operations", leaving "hundreds of thousands of Kiwis with limited transport options".
The Government's position on wearing masks in public hasn't changed, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says.
"Not at this point, but it's still actively under consideration," Dr Bloomfield said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health is investigating the implications of making such a change.
"Including around supply for people, whether use of masks on public transport may mean you could relax some of the physical distancing arrangements," Dr Bloomfield says.
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Jetstar and Qantas in Australia are planning to provide masks to all passengers. Asked whether that will happen here, Jetstar says it's "working through flexibility options for our New Zealand domestic operations" and will have an update soon.
GPs also support a regulation around making masks compulsory to wear in public, saying they're concerned about their waiting rooms.
Royal NZ College Of General Practitioners medical director Dr Bryan Betty says most doctors want patients to wear masks, especially in light of mounting evidence of their effectiveness in Asia.
"That is why we need to think of it as maybe part of the armoury that we use going forward to keep COVID away from us," Dr Betty says.
He says like on public transport, it would provide an additional layer of protection for both patients and staff.
