Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus regional routes, will resume international services with enhanced health and safety measures, on a phased basis from 14 July.
Stobart Air, following the guidance and advice from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), has implemented enhanced health and safety measures to protect its staff, crew and passengers.
New measures include:
Enhanced aircraft cleaning
Stobart Air is introducing significantly enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures on all aircraft after every flight, in addition to a deep clean sanitisation overnight.
Enhanced on-board measures
Face coverings or masks are mandatory on all flights operated by Stobart Air for customers and cabin crew respectively, with the exception of small children and those who are unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons. The face coverings can be in the form of a reusable cloth mask or a disposable mask and it is recommended that these are worn from the time passengers enter the departure airport to the time they leave their destination airport.
In-flight services will be suspended to reduce interaction between Stobart Air cabin crew and passengers. Requirement for in-flight services will be reviewed in line with passenger demand.
Passengers will also be encouraged to remain seated while on board.
At the Airport:
Stobart Air is introducing new boarding and disembarkation procedures to reduce passenger interaction. Passengers will board and disembark the aircraft in small groups and according to seat row numbers.
At the boarding gate, customers will scan their own boarding card and show their passport or ID to the staff member, making this process contactless.
Commenting on the update, Andy Jolly, Managing Director of Stobart Air, said:
“While the impact of Covid-19 has resulted in an unprecedented reduction in passenger demand across the aviation industry globally, Stobart Air is committed to providing essential connectivity between Ireland, and the UK and Europe into the future, in line with Government guidance.
“Covid-19 has instilled widespread uncertainty globally. Passengers can be assured that enhanced health and safety measures in line with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) guidance are now in place to protect them, our staff, and our airline partners.
“We look forward to welcoming our passengers, staff and crew back on board our services.”
From 14 July, flights from Dublin-Edinburgh and Dublin-Glasgow will resume to facilitate essential travel, as per Government guidelines. Further services will resume on a phased basis across August and September. Stobart Air will continuously analyse passenger demand and increase service frequencies accordingly.
For a full list of flight frequencies and routes, visit www.aerlingus.com.
