Last checked at 
(Adds detail, background)
LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - British low-cost airline easyJet
said it would restart a small number of flights on June
15, becoming the latest airline to plan for the return of
European travel by making face masks mandatory onboard.
EasyJet's planes have been grounded since late March when
the novel coronavirus spread across Europe. The airline said it
would restart primarily domestic flights in Britain and France
from June 15, before adding other destinations later.
Flights would restart with new safety measures including the
wearing of masks by passengers and cabin crew and enhanced
cleaning of aircraft, said the airline on Thursday.
EasyJet joins bigger competitor Ryanair in making
masks compulsory, as airlines add measures aimed at reassuring
customers they can get back onboard safely amid worries about
COVID-19 spreading on crowded planes.
Air France-KLM, Lufthansa and Wizz
have all made masks mandatory and the CEO of British
Airways owner IAG Willie Walsh has said he supports the
idea.
EasyJet said the flights it was resuming would be on routes
where it believes there will be enough demand to support
profitable flying.
Like many airlines, restarting operations will use cash at a
time when it is focused on preserving it as it seeks to make it
through a period with very little activity.
"When more restrictions are lifted the schedule will
continue to build over time to match demand," easyJet's chief
executive Johan Lundgren said in a statement.
EasyJet also said that initially there would be no onboard
food service on flights.
The airline will on Friday announce the results of a
shareholder vote brought by its founder and biggest investor
Stelios Haji-Ioannou on whether to remove from the board four
directors including the CEO and chairman in a row over strategy.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton and James
Davey)
