Anyone flying will have to follow a number of rules to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading via air travel, according to guidelines that have been issued to airports and airlines by the EU’s air safety body.
Such rules include passengers having to wear masks for the duration of their journey, saying goodbye to loved ones outside the terminal and interview booth assessments of people showing signs of Covid-19. The sale of duty-free items will also be banned in terminals and on flights.
The rules were laid out in 28-pages of guidelines issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and published on its website.
The measures, that will dramatically change the way people travel by air, are expected to be adopted by all EU member states, with the UK likely to implement similar rules.
The guidelines have been met with relief from airlines, who have said that they are positive step towards allowing international travel and tourism this summer after they were forced to ground huge numbers of planes due to the pandemic.
Since leaving the EU on January 31, the UK has no influence of EASA policy, and has had no input in putting the guidelines together, but does remain a member until the end of the year.
However, the Civil Aviation Authority is reportedly putting together a similar set of guidelines for British airlines and airports that will generally follow those published by the EU.
‘The safety of passengers and crews has always been paramount in aviation,’ European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said in a statement released by EASA, explaining the rationale behind the guidelines.
‘Passengers have to have confidence that taking to the skies again in a confined space with other people poses the minimum possible risk to their health.
‘We relied on our specialists from EASA and ECDC to define a set of concrete measures for the safe resumption of air travel within the EU. The protocol released today will reassure passengers that it is safe for them to fly and so help the industry recover from the effects of this pandemic,’ she added.
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