Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Face masks, health checks and long check-ins: the future of flying

Cabin crew in protective suits, health certifications for passengers, mandatory face masks, and longer check-in times.

This is the new reality of mass air travel.


As people dream of taking to the skies once more, they face the prospect that changes to curb the spread of coronavirus will be even more challenging than those brought in after the 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

In addition to the strict security measures commonplace around the world since then, passengers will now encounter a barrage of checks for COVID-19.

"Before the pandemic, we were told to arrive two hours before the flight. This time we had to be at the airport at least four hours before flying," said Indonesian Suyanto after taking a domestic route in late May.

There were multiple queues and screenings before he could even check in at the airport, he added.

Passengers in the country must declare a reason for flying, provide documentation proving they are virus-free, undergo multiple screenings, and offer details of their movements on arrival.

"It was more tiring and expensive. With these kinds of strict rules, I think people will think twice before travelling," said the 40-year-old, who had to pay double the usual fare for his short flight as some seats were left empty for social distancing.

As the aviation industry attempts to find a way forward, experts warn the impact of the pandemic will be far-reaching.

"9/11 created a new environment for the entire travel industry in terms of security," explained Shukor Yusof from Malaysia-based Endau Analytics.

While the fallout from the 2001 attacks could be used as an "indicator" of what to expect, the COVID-19 challenge was a "far more serious... global event", he said.

- Defiant passengers -

The United Nations' civil aviation agency has drawn up a set of guidelines for safe flying in the wake of the pandemic, from mandatory wearing of masks to the disinfection of areas people come in contact with.

In addition, industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has suggested governments collect passenger data -- including health information -- ahead of travel, and that access to airports be restricted to staff and same-day travellers.

Other measures outlined in their guidelines include the redesign of gate areas to reduce congestion, faster and smoother boarding and baggage collection procedures, and even "prohibiting queues for the washrooms" to limit passenger interaction.

"The COVID-19 crisis is the biggest disruption in the history of the aviation industry. The recovery is going to be long and slow," Albert Tjoeng, regional spokesman for IATA, told AFP.

Implementing new regulations is already proving challenging -- and chaotic.

While some US airlines require masks be worn in-flight, it has proven difficult to enforce this rule if passengers are defiant.

In India, which resumed domestic flights last week, some cabin crew wore protective suits with masks, plastic visors and blue rubber gloves, but, according to media reports, had no idea if they were supposed to quarantine post-flight.

Mumbai airport put in place social distancing rules but these quickly fell apart when angry travellers harangued staff after flights were cancelled last-minute.

The most hotly debated measure in the industry has been whether to leave middle seats empty.

Japan Airlines and Delta are among carriers doing so but Michael O'Leary, the boss of Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, has said the idea is "idiotic" and would stop his firm making money.

- 'Travel bubbles' -

The emergence of COVID-19, which was first reported in China last year and has since infected more than seven million people worldwide, brought air travel to an almost complete halt with entire fleets grounded and mass layoffs.

IATA forecasts international carriers are in line to make a combined net loss of more than $84 billion this year.

"We don't know exactly how the trajectory of this recovery will look," Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong said, after the carrier reported the first full-year loss in its 48-year history.

There are some signs of recovery as major economies ease lockdowns -- with IATA pointing to a growth in flight numbers from April to May -- but flying looks set to struggle to return to pre-virus levels.

A confusing patchwork of rules imposed by countries at different stages in tackling their outbreaks makes it tricky for consumers to plan holidays or visit family abroad.

Some nations are maintaining bans on travellers from hard-hit nations or requiring people to enter quarantine on arrival, typically for a 14-day period.

Countries that have kept the virus in check are looking at creating "travel bubbles", or reciprocal agreements with other places on similar outbreak curves, but these can have onerous requirements.

A "fast lane" for essential business and official travel between some parts of China and Singapore has been launched, but travellers need sponsorship and have to take a virus test before departure and on arrival.

Many who previously flew frequently may simply choose not to for the time being.

Fazal Bahardeen, chief executive of Singapore-based Islamic travel specialist HalalTrip, told AFP: "If I have to go through all the hassle, I might as well not travel unless I really have to."

More For You

Aldi product recall

Aldi is urging customers to dispose of or return specific food and health products for a full refund

iStock

Aldi recall alert: Contaminated and allergen-risk products pulled from shelves in 37 US states

Highlights

  • Multiple Aldi products recalled due to metal contamination and undeclared allergens
  • Affected items include seafood, taquitos, pork carnitas, vitamins, and churro bites
  • Customers in 37 US states advised to discard or return products
  • No related illnesses reported to date

Safety warnings prompt widespread Aldi product recall

Aldi has issued a series of product recalls across 37 US states following safety concerns involving undeclared allergens and potential contamination. The supermarket chain, in collaboration with suppliers and federal agencies, is urging customers to dispose of or return specific food and health products for a full refund.

The recalls are part of ongoing efforts to mitigate consumer health risks associated with allergen exposure and foreign matter contamination.

Keep ReadingShow less
Queen Camilla

She is wearing a turquoise dress with a rainforest-themed print featuring monkeys, toucans, and lemurs

Getty Images

New photo released to celebrate Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday

Highlights

  • Queen Camilla turns 78 and is expected to celebrate privately at home
  • Official birthday portrait taken at Raymill House, Wiltshire
  • Outfit features rainforest-themed print; jewellery includes iconic diamond ring
  • Recent royal duties include state visits, Trooping the Colour, and military engagements
  • Appointed Vice Admiral of the UK on the same day

Queen Camilla marks birthday with relaxed countryside portrait

A new photograph of Queen Camilla has been released by Buckingham Palace to mark her 78th birthday. The image, captured by royal photographer Chris Jackson, shows the Queen leaning on a metal gate in a field at her private home, Raymill House, in Wiltshire.

She is wearing a turquoise dress with a rainforest-themed print featuring monkeys, toucans, and lemurs. Her accessories include gold drop earrings, her wedding band, a five-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring, and a distinctive gold ring composed of circular plaques.

Keep ReadingShow less
Babies born free of mitochondrial disease

8 babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from 3 people

iStock

Babies born free of mitochondrial disease using DNA from 3 people

Highlights

  • Eight babies were born in the UK using DNA from three individuals to prevent mitochondrial disease
  • The technique combines egg and sperm from parents with mitochondria from a donor egg
  • Legal in the UK since 2015; results show children are meeting expected milestones
  • One in 5,000 babies are born with mitochondrial disease; no known cure exists
  • Newcastle scientists pioneered the technique, now used under NHS specialist service

UK births mark milestone in preventing inherited mitochondrial disease

Eight babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from three people in a pioneering effort to prevent incurable mitochondrial disease, doctors have confirmed. The technique, developed by researchers in Newcastle, represents a significant breakthrough in reproductive medicine and genetic science.

These births are the first proven cases in the UK of healthy children being born free of devastating mitochondrial disorders thanks to this technique, which has been legal in the country since 2015.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sainsbury

The rollout is part of Sainsbury’s broader Nectar Prices strategy

iStock

Sainsbury’s brings personalised Nectar discounts to all checkouts

Highlights

  • Sainsbury’s will roll out Your Nectar Prices to physical checkouts nationwide from 25 July.
  • Scheme gives loyalty members access to personalised discounts based on shopping habits.
  • Over 17 billion tailored offers generated since launch; £60m saved by customers in the last year.
  • More than one million shoppers currently use the feature weekly.
  • Offers now available in-store, online, via app, and soon, at checkout.

Sainsbury's brings personalised loyalty savings directly to the tills

Sainsbury’s will extend its Your Nectar Prices programme to checkouts across the UK starting Friday, 25 July. The move allows Nectar members to receive personalised discounts directly at the tills for the first time, as part of the retailer’s continued investment in digital loyalty.

The supermarket has already issued over 17 billion tailored offers since launching the scheme, with more than one million customers using it weekly. According to the retailer, these offers have helped shoppers collectively save £60 million over the past year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed

Getty Images

Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House to cut carbon emissions

Highlights

  • Kew Gardens will shut its iconic Palm House for up to four years
  • Grade I-listed building to undergo major restoration as part of net-zero strategy
  • Gas boilers to be replaced with modern heat pumps
  • Rare plant collection, including 45 endangered species, to be relocated during works
  • Palm House and Waterlily House will become the first net-zero glasshouses globally

Historic Palm House to undergo major upgrade

Kew Gardens will temporarily close one of its most recognisable landmarks, the Grade I-listed Palm House, for up to four years as part of an ambitious net-zero redevelopment plan. Opened in 1848, the glasshouse is home to a globally significant collection of tropical plants and houses the world’s oldest potted plant—an Encephalartos altensteinii dating back to 1775.

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed into the world’s first net-zero glasshouses through a large-scale renovation focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Keep ReadingShow less