Video shows Ryanair flight from Stansted to Lisbon with no social distancing as boss announces 40% of flights to return
FOOTAGE shows a packed Ryanair flight from Stansted to Lisbon with no social distancing on board as the airline announces that its service are to partially resume.
The company said today that 40 percent of its schedule would be running from July 1, but that measures to lower the risk of infection would be put in place.
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It said that everyone on board would be asked to wear face masks, that passengers would be asked to check in fewer bags, and that a ban on queuing for toilets would be enforced.
It had previously said it would not restart flights if its planes were required to be emptier to meet social distancing guidelines.
Video shot on Saturday afternoon shows a Ryanair plane full as it prepared to depart Stansted for Lisbon.
Experts recommend that a distance of two meters be maintained between people to minimise the risk of the virus being transmitted.
The woman filming is heard saying: “Ryanair have been so keen to make as much money as possible that they filled the entire flight.
“No social distancing whatsoever. At all.”
Many of the passengers in the video are wearing masks, but a caption on the clip claimed that the attendants were not.
Appearing this morning on Good Morning Britain, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: “[From July 1] we’ll be running about 1,000 flights a day taking hundreds of thousands of British families abroad to Spain, France, Portugal, which are reopening faster than the UK.
“It’ll be reasonably easy, but it’ll be unusual in the sense that you’ll have to undergo a temperature check entering the airport, and you’ll be wearing face masks for the entire duration of the journey.
“Other than that, you won’t see much difference.”
Flights that have already resumed elsewhere in Europe have seen arguments break out between passengers over social distancing.
Asked whether he was concerned that the air conditioning systems on planes could help the virus spread on board, he said: “The aircraft have hospital-level air conditioning filters in them. The same that are used in operating theatres.
“The other critical difference going forward is that both passengers and cabin crew on board the aircraft will be wearing masks.”
The video comes as the UK prepares to begin easing its lockdown measures.
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Under new guidelines announce on Sunday, Brits will be allowed see one member of another household as long as they maintain social distancing.
They are also now being encouraged to return to work if they are unable to work remotely.
Ryanair has been approached for comment.
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