The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommend physical distancing measures against coronavirus "as far as possible" and the wearing of a medical mask for air travel. In a document released Wednesday, the two EU agencies are issuing a series of guidelines to "ensure the safety of air passengers and aviation workers when resuming flight schedules".
"The protocol published today will reassure passengers about the safety of their plane travel, and thus help the industry recover from the effects of this pandemic," said European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean, quoted in a statement. "Ensuring health security is a crucial factor for the resumption of commercial flights," also stressed EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky. "It is now up to airlines and airports to adapt the recommendations to their facilities and operations. "
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Guarantee the physical distance of passengers on the plane
The agencies recommend that all passengers and air personnel wear medical masks from the time they enter the departure airport until they arrive at their destination, with a possible exception for children under the age of six. These masks must be changed every four hours, and passengers must ensure that they have enough, but companies are also encouraged to have a stock to meet needs.
A physical distance of 1.50 m is recommended, if possible at all stages of the journey. On the plane, "when permitted by the number of passengers and the cabin configuration", the airlines "must guarantee, as far as possible, the physical distance of the passengers": for example by leaving at least one seat empty between them, increasing the distance between the seats or leaving empty every other row. If this distancing is not possible, "passengers and crew members must constantly apply all other preventive measures", it said.
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Risk of ticket prices increasing
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which groups 290 airlines, has already expressed its opposition to such physical distancing measures, believing that they would drop the occupancy rate of aircraft below the break-even point and would drive up ticket prices.
In addition to hygiene measures such as frequent hand washing and disinfection of equipment, European agencies also recommend that services on board aircraft be reduced to the "minimum necessary" and that access to airport terminals be reserved for passengers and staff members.