LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Irish airline Aer Lingus said it
was reviewing its social distancing procedures after a flight on
Monday was packed with passengers.
European flights have all but come to a standstill during
the coronavirus pandemic with only a few services operating for
essential travel such as people going to work or being
repatriated, or for cargo.
While there is no visibility on when travel restrictions
will ease, airlines are considering how to safely restart
services and give passengers confidence to fly.
Aer Lingus, owned by IAG, said it would consider
how it operates after its Belfast to London Heathrow flight on
Monday had "unexpectedly high loads" and that due to the level
of the demand for the route, it could need to make changes.
"Aer Lingus is reviewing its processes and procedures
applicable to the operation of this service," an Aer Lingus
spokeswoman said, adding that safety was its top priority.
Some airlines have discussed leaving middle seats empty on
flights to enable social distancing, while other airlines such
as Germany's Lufthansa and Hungary's low cost airline
Wizz Air have made it compulsory for passengers to wear
face masks on flights.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Ian Graham; Editing by Kirsten
Donovan)