The European Commission (EC) will release a series of new
rules for the safe restart of air travel when the COVID-related lockdowns are
lifted, the European transport chief said on Wednesday. The new rules, planned
for May, will include social distancing measures in airports and planes.
Transport Commissioner Adina Valean started that the measures will have to be taken seriously for the safety of passengers. The rules might also require travelers to weak masks. Also, airports and planes will likely need to be regularly disinfected. Valean tweeted:
“All this should be part of those guidelines and probably by mid-May we can put forward this strategy we are working on.”
Airline companies have expressed their concerns that the lockdown
measures could hit their profitability even after the restrictions end.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that
the crisis might cost airlines about $314 billion.
IATA's director general Alexandre de Juniac told media that one of the conditions to reopen air travel might be the requirement to leave the middle seat free during flights.
Valean said that she anticipated the social distancing measures to continue as long as there is no coronavirus vaccine or treatment. She said:
“We expect the crisis
to stay with us and the virus to stay with us.”