I'm hoping KE drops the mask requirement for my upcoming flight.

Of course on an airplane you can take it off to eat and drink. If it were truly hazardous the mask would stay on the entirety of the flight. In a Pu239 atmosphere I don't take off my mask to sip some water.

For the record I'm a professional respirator wearer. I'm trained and fit tested (quantitative not qualitative). Surgeons mask just stop spittle, not viruses. Don't get me started.