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 Passengers and staff should wear face coverings in airports and on
aircraft, while passengers should check in all luggage including
hand bags and remain seated for as much of the flight as possible,
said the Department for Transport on Thursday.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus, there has been minimal flying
into and out of Britain. Airlines had been hoping for a recovery in
July, but they say new UK rules requiring international arrivals to
quarantine for 14-days have pushed this back.
Britain has said work is continuing on "air bridges" between
countries with low infection rates, something which the industry
says is vital to kickstart travel demand and avoid further job
losses on top of the tens of thousands already announced.
The new aviation guidance shows the government is preparing for a
restart.
"We are taking the necessary steps to ensure a framework is in place
for the aviation industry to bounce back when it is safe for
restrictions on travel to be lifted," said transport minister Grant
Shapps in a statement.
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Many airlines including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways have already said
that customers must wear face coverings onboard.
The guidance to put most baggage in the hold could be problematic for some
low-cost airlines such as Ryanair which formerly charged a premium for customers
to keep larger bags with them in the cabin.
The government also said in its guidance that there should be extensive cleaning
of the aircraft, and more availability of handwashing and hand sanitizer
facilities.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Michael Holden)
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