Coronavirus: No empty seats under EU plans to get planes flying again

BRUSSELS • Airlines will not have to leave seats empty, but passengers flying in the European Union will have to wear masks on planes and in airports under plans to revive the travel industry.

The European Commission made the non-binding recommendations yesterday as part of wider proposals to salvage the ailing tourism sector, which previously represented some 10 per cent of the EU's economic output and employed almost 12 per cent of its workforce.

The commission also said yesterday it would open legal cases against countries that breach EU law by not ensuring consumers can effectively get cash refunds for travel or holidays cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The commission also said airlines will need to limit risks of infection, which could be achieved using hospital-grade air filtering and personal protective equipment and by limiting movements.

"Mandating the use of empty seats to increase physical distancing in aircraft is therefore not recommended," the European Commission's document says.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata), which has estimated the coronavirus crisis could cost airlines US$314 billion (S$445 billion), recommended face masks be worn during flights but not blocking off the middle seats.

Globally, airlines and airports are recommending a layered approach to temporary safety measures as air travel restarts, warning that no single measure can mitigate all of the risks during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a briefing document seen by Reuters.

Ryanair said on Tuesday that its passengers would be required to ask for permission to use the toilets to avoid queueing on the budget airline's planes.

The plan laid out by Iata and Airports Council International to reassure governments it is safe for the public to fly includes contact tracing, temperature screening, social distancing, extra cleaning and wearing masks.

"Successfully restarting air passenger travel while restoring confidence in the safety of air travel are vital prerequisites to enabling the global economy to recover from Covid-19," the groups say in the document, which has not been made public.

Social and physical distancing should be limited to the initial restart phase because the measures will cap airport and aircraft capacity once travel demand grows, the document says.

Despite the recommendations, getting all airlines to comply could be a challenge.

The top three United States airlines have told their flight attendants not to force passengers inside the aircraft to comply with a new policy requiring face coverings, but just encourage them to do so, according to employee policies reviewed by Reuters.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have told employees that they may deny boarding at the gate to anyone not wearing a face covering, and are providing masks to passengers who do not have them, the three carriers told Reuters.

Inside the plane, enforcement becomes more difficult. "Once on board and off the gate, the face covering policy becomes more lenient. The flight attendant's role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face covering policy," American told its pilots in a message seen by Reuters explaining its policy, which went into effect on Monday.

REUTERS