How holiday flights might look once lockdown ends

Asking to use the toilet, temperature checks and wearing face masks at all times are just some of the ways flying away for a holiday could differ after the coronavirus lockdown.

Ryanair is among the airlines to announce new measures being put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as it prepares to return to 40% of normal flight schedules from Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

Since the COVID-19 flight restrictions in mid-March, it has been operating a skeleton daily schedule of 30 flights between Ireland, the UK and Europe. From July, it will restart flying from most of its 80 bases across Europe, but there will be fewer daily/weekly frequencies on trunk routes.

This is subject to government restrictions on intra-EU flights being lifted and effective public health measures being put in place at airports.

Queuing for toilets will not be permitted on board the plane, but access can be made available to individual passengers upon request. Any sales on board in the limited in-flight service will be cashless.

The measures also include checking your temperature before travelling and this may also get checked again at the airport, with anyone not passing this being asked to return home.

It is also advised to check-in online and to download the boarding pass onto a smartphone to limit contact.

As well as maintaining social distancing from other passengers in the airport, staff and passengers will need to wear a face mask or covering at all times at the airport, as well as on board the plane.

It is also encouraged for passengers to regularly use hand wash and hand sanitisers in the airport terminals. All Ryanair’s aircraft will also be professionally cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.

In addition, as a temporary further public health measure, Ryanair will require all passengers flying in July and August to fill in details (at the point of check in) of how long their planned visit will be, and also their address while visiting another EU country.