Governments and health agencies around the world are urging people to maintain social distancing. However, in confined areas, like onboard aircraft, it can be very difficult. Some airlines are taking measures to comply with social distancing rules to combat the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Lufthansa and Eurowings are introducing further measures to ensure physical distance between passengers during their journey. From tomorrow, 27 March 2020, neighbouring seats on board in Economy Class and Premium Economy will be blocked and remain free on all flights from Germany. This also applies to flights within Germany.
This regulation does not apply on flights to Germany, because the airlines top priority remains returning as many people as possible to their home country.
In addition, from now on all Lufthansa and Eurowings flights at domestic airports will only be handled at building positions wherever possible given the existing airport infrastructure and official regulations. This measure intends to help pas-sengers avoid having to take bus trips. Where this is not possible at short notice, twice as many buses will be operating, which has also been the case for the last few days. Both measures will apply until 19 April 2020.
Lufthansa and Eurowings have already taken numerous measures to increase the distance between passengers along the entire travel chain, for example at check-in counters or when boarding and disembarking from the aircraft. The service on board has also been adapted regarding the current physical distancing measures.
American will block middle seats on all flights, which would give customers the availability to reassign their seat at the gate or to move once they were onboard. American says the policy will be in force until at least May 31.
Air New Zealand is amending seat maps to ensure passengers weren’t seated next to one another, while both Cathay Pacific and Virgin Australia said they would give “options” for passengers to have an empty seat next to them.
Delta Air Lines is also working to employ social distancing onboard aircraft. This includes giving passengers the opportunity to sit next to empty seats.
